Prostate Cancer

The prostate is a walnut-sized gland in a man's reproductive system. It is located below the bladder in front of the rectum (see graphic below). It surrounds the upper part of the urethra, which is the tube that empties urine from the bladder. If the prostate grows too large, the flow of urine may slow or stop.

Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is a disease in which malignant cells are found in the prostate. The cause of prostate cancer is not well understood. Doctors cannot explain why one man gets prostate cancer and another does not.

Although several other cell types are found in the prostate, more than 99 percent of prostate cancers develop from the glandular cells. The medical term for a cancer that starts in glandular cells is adenocarcinoma. Because other types of prostate cancer are so rare, if you have prostate cancer, it is most likely adenocarcinoma.

Treatment for Prostate Cancer

Different types of treatment are available for prostate cancer. Some treatments are standard (currently used) and some are being tested in clinical trials.

Most men have options in choosing their prostate cancer treatment. Your prostate cancer team will explain all the options available to you and share their recommendations. No matter what approach to treatment you choose, our entire team is with you every step of the way. 

Types of Standard Treatment

Surgery to remove the prostate is called prostatectomy. If surgery is your best treatment option, your doctor will discuss the procedure with you. MD Anderson at Cooper urologic oncologists frequently perform robotic prostatectomy and are leaders in this surgical approach.  Robotic surgery offers less pain and a faster recovery than traditional prostatectomy. Additionally, our surgeons are one of the first in the nation to use high intensity focused ultra sound - an advanced new non-surgical approach to treating prostate cancer using sound waves. This innovative approach uses MRI and real-time ultrasound imaging to precisely target and eliminate cancerous tissue in the prostate without surgery, radiation, or incisions.  incisions. 

Radiation treatment uses high-energy X-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells or keep them from growing. External beam radiation is a common type of therapy for prostate cancer. MD Anderson at Cooper offers advanced, MR-guided radiation treatment - a cutting edge approach to radiation treatment that uses powerful MR imaging to guide treatment - which offers greater precision to protect normal, healthy tissue.  Our radiation oncology team works closely with our medical oncology team to offer patients advanced radiopharmaceutical treatments including Lutathera and Pluvitco. 

Medical treatments include hormone therapy, chemotherapy, and new targeted drugs that disrupt a particular function within the cancer cell preventing it from reproducing.

Because prostate cancer often grows very slowly, some men – especially those who are older or have other serious health problems – may never need treatment. Instead, their doctors may recommend active surveillance, an approach commonly known as "watchful waiting.” This involves closely monitoring the cancer without active treatment. 

Clinical Trials

MD Anderson at Cooper offers patients the option to participate in clinical trials of new drugs and treatment options that provide patient the opportunity to receive a breakthrough treatment that may not be available elsewhere. Ask your physician about clinical trials that may be available as a treatment option for your prostate cancer.