Dr. Sharkey is touring the country for the Great Prostate Debate, a series of workshops that encourage men to discuss the disease and learn about treatments.
Proven Treatment Options
• Radiation therapy, brachytherapy with TheraSeed®, a one-time, outpatient, 45-minute procedure that lets men go home the same day; recovery takes two to three days. Or external beam, where the prostate and other tissues are treated with a carefully targeted beam of radiation.
• Surgery or “radical prostatectomy,” a one-time procedure that typically requires a two- to three-day hospital stay. A catheter may remain for up to two weeks.
• “Watchful waiting,” regularly monitoring the condition; the doctor determines how fast the cancer is progressing and if and when treatment may be appropriate.
“Your doctor or other specialists can help you decide which is right for you based on your PSA level, Gleason score and other factors,” said Dr. Sharkey.
