Surgery to treat prostate cancer
Localized prostate cancers (stages I and II) are easier to treat.
If your prostate cancer is confined to the actual prostate gland, or localized (it
is a stage I or II cancer—it has a low Gleason score), you are a good candidate
for treatments that can result in long-term survival.
If you and your healthcare team think watchful waiting is not a good idea, then
surgery is a likely option.
Surgery is a common treatment for early-stage prostate cancer.
It may be recommended for patients who are in good health and younger.
The main type of prostate cancer surgery is called a
radical prostatectomy, which is usually recommended for early-stage cancer
that has not spread to other tissues or organs. This procedure makes the patient
essentially "cancer-free.”
During a radical prostatectomy the surgeon removes the entire prostate gland and
sometimes the nearby
lymph nodes, along with both
seminal vesicles, and other surrounding tissues. In "nerve-sparing”
radical prostatectomy, the nerves to the penis that control erections are left intact.
Radical prostatectomy typically requires general anesthesia and takes 1 1/2 to 4
hours. The patient stays in the hospital for 3 days and needs to wear a tube to
drain away urine for anywhere from 10 days to 3 weeks. Newer techniques for radical
prostatectomy, such as laparoscopic and robotic prostatectomy, are also available.
Radical prostatectomy comes with some possible risks and side effects, including:
- Surgery-related complications, such as bleeding, infection, or cardiovascular problems
- Loss of urinary control (incontinence)
- Loss of the ability to achieve or maintain an erection (impotence)
Side effects may be temporary or permanent, depending upon the patient’s age, the
extent of the cancer, and the type of surgery performed.
Find out more about managing side effects
Another type of prostate cancer treatment is cryosurgery.
Cryosurgery or cryotherapy is a new technique which uses nitrogen to freeze
and kill prostate cancer cells. The procedure takes about 2 hours and requires anesthesia
and a stay in the hospital of only 1 day.
Prostate cryosurgery is less invasive than radical prostatectomy, which means there
is usually less pain and a shorter recovery period. But less is known about this
type of prostate cancer surgery, so doctors often wait to use it until other treatments
have been tried.
Side effects from cryosurgery can include:
- Soreness
- Blood in the urine
- Frequent urination
- Freezing damage to nerves, leading to impotence. Impotence affects up to 80% of
men who undergo cryosurgery
Learn about radiation therapy
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