Radical Prostatectomy

• Surgery can be performed to remove the whole prostate gland as well as lymph nodes located near the area. Although this is very effective at removing the cancer, many men lose a large amount of blood during the procedure and can suffer permanent loss of bladder control.
  
  

Beam Radiation Therapy

• External beam radiation therapy uses a machine to expose the area to radiation, much like an x-ray machine. This process is most commonly performed over the course of seven weeks in five day increments. Side effects include hair loss and minor sickness, although impotence usually occurs within two years following treatment.
  
  

Radiation Pellets

• Another method of radiation therapy uses small radioactive pellets injected directly into the prostate gland. This procedure requires a small portion of anesthesia during the surgery process. This method has much more drastic side effects, such as severe sickness, hair loss, urinary bleeding and impotence.
  
  

Potential

• Hormone therapy can be used to suppress the effects and growth of prostate cancer. Androgens, male hormones produced in the testicles, are injected over a period of one to two years. According to the National Prostate Cancer Coalition, hormone therapy helps 23.9 percent of men.
  
  

Considerations

• Watchful waiting is one of the most commonly practiced options for prostate cancer because it is one the slowest growing types of cancer. The American Cancer Society states that up to 30 percent of men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer suffer no symptoms over the course of their lifetime and ultimately die of something else.
  
  

Effects

• Following any prostate cancer treatment or option, continued medical screening is necessary. A man needs to get blood tests every six months for the following five to ten years. Rectal examinations also need to be performed annually.