First of all people must know that treatments for prostate cancer are depending on several factors. Age, the extent of the cancer or the medical condition in which the patient is are one of many. Furthermore every person should be discuss with his doctor the kind of treatment he may be given and choose from several depending on the side-effects.

When one has: a problem in emptying his bladder, bladder stones, an enlarged prostate, slow urination or a first or second stage cancer, he must immediately start treatment. There are also cases when one must only wait and monitor his prostate cancer, for not all tumors are fast growing and people can do very well without treatment.

This may be the case especially in older men with medical problems. Monitoring the cancer involves regular visits to the doctor. They make tests, rectal examinations and even x-rays to follow the growing of the tumor and determine if treatment is necessary. This waiting can be very useful because the patient will not suffer from any side effect.

If the doctor has monitored your situation and has concluded that treatment is necessary, you may be faced to one of this treatments:

- An operation to remove the prostate gland, called radical prostectomy.

Radiation treatment, which can be of two types: external beam or implant of radiation.

- Therapy by radiation, but when the prostate cancer has spread.

- Therapy through an external beam , which is pointed directly at the cancer.

- An implant of a radioactive pallet, of small caliber, inserted into the prostate. It can generate radioactivity from a few weeks to months and doesn't have to be removed after.

These treatments can cause several side effects of significant importance. When using the external beam irritation, skin burn or even loosing hair is most likely. These effects may also be permanent. There is also the case of becoming impotent or the inability to keep urine, side effects found in using both of the radiation treatments.

Treatment by using hormones is another method, but not likely to be given in cases where the prostate cancer has spread. Their purpose is to reduce the level of testosterone or even stop it from working. At first this tretment may work, but in time the cancer may progress. Here are some ways for the hormonal treatment:

-Removing by surgery the testicles.

-Using drugs or agents such as flutamide or bicalutamide.

-Using estrogen(it has strong side effects).

Like any other cancer treatment this two has side effects such as vomiting, impotence, nausea or the enlargement of the breasts.

Finally there is chemotherapy. This treatment is not very used cause it is very toxic and has many side effects.