Prostate Cancer
Specializing in the treatment of prostate cancer
An estimated one out of every 10 American men will develop before the age of 85. This makes prostate cancer the most common type of cancer among American men. 
Signs and symptoms
In the very early stages of prostate cancer, there are usually no . When symptoms do develop, they depend on the size and location of the tumor. Any symptom should be by your physician, to determine the cause.
Symptoms of prostate problems include:
- Weak or interrupted urine flow
- Inability to urinate
- Difficulty in starting or stopping urination
- Need to urinate frequently, especially at night
- Blood in the urine (hematuria)
- Painful or burning urination
- Continuing pain in lower back, pelvis or upper thighs
A more common sign of prostate cancer is finding a nodule or abnormality during a routine digital rectal exam (DRE). Some men also show signs of prostate cancer through a PSA blood test, which measures the prostate-specific antigen (PSA).
Based on the results of the PSA and DRE, your doctor may recommend a repeat PSA or biopsy—especially if your PSA level is high, or has risen significantly in a short period of time. If your test results suggest something other than prostate cancer, your doctor will recommend additional tests. Normal PSA range is 0.0–2.5 ng/mL for men younger than 49 years old, 0.0–3.5 ng/mL for men 50–59 years old, and 0.0–4.0 ng/mL for men 60 years and older.
PSA levels higher than these may indicate prostate cancer, or could be a sign that your prostate is inflamed or enlarged. How quickly or how high your PSA levels have risen are an important factor in determining testing and treatment steps.
A PSA test and digital rectal exam (DRE) are recommended for relatively healthy men aged 40 or older who want to be screened. Knowing your baseline PSA values to compare with future PSA test results may be helpful. However, all men should be informed of the risks and benefits of early screening, based on their individual situation.
Because there are so many to consider when it comes to PSA levels, you should discuss any elevated PSA test result with your doctor. Injury, infection, age, race and many other factors can cause abnormal PSA results. Your of prostate cancer depends on many factors, not just your PSA level.
Download our comprehensive brochure on Elevated PSA.
Treatment options
Thanks to the advanced radiation therapy treatment techniques available at Cancer Care of Western New York, prostate cancer can often be cured or managed, giving you many productive and healthy years. A summary of and can be found below. Call us today to learn more and to schedule an appointment.
Download our customizable Prostate Cancer Patient Handbook.
Some of the most common treatment options include:
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External beam radiation therapy—uses high-energy rays to cure cancer. A machine called a linear accelerator creates the radiation beam, which is typically only “on†for a minute or two per treatment. The actual treatments are completely safe and do not cause you to become radioactive—it is fine for family members and friends to be around you. External beam radiation includes Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) , Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT) and RapidArc , which provides a complete treatment in less than two minutes in most cases. Our collective experience with RapidArc rivals many major cancer centers around the world, and we have treated more patients than anyone else in the region.
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Prostatectomy—surgery to remove your prostate gland. There are two types: the conventional method and the minimally invasive method. These surgeries are often done during the cancer's early stages, when the cancer is only within your prostate. Our partners at Western New York Urology Associates have performed thousands of these procedures.
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Brachytherapy—a minimally invasive procedure that places radioactive "seeds" directly in your prostate gland to destroy the cancer cells. These radioactive seeds will emit low-level radiation for about one year. During this outpatient procedure, which is performed by your urologist and radiation oncologist, you will receive a general anesthetic. An ultrasound guide will be placed into your rectum. Then approximately 20 needles will be placed through the skin between your scrotum and your rectum. The staff at Cancer Care of Western New York is extremely familiar with this procedure, having already performed it on thousands of patients.
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Hormone therapy—also known as androgen deprivation, hormone therapy is designed to lower the level of testosterone, a hormone produced in the testicles that causes prostate cancer to grow. Lowering the level of testosterone can cause prostate cancer to shrink, or grow at a slower rate. While hormone therapy does not cure cancer, it can extend—and improve—your quality of life when it is used along with other therapies.
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Active surveillance—some prostate cancers do not require immediate treatment. In these instances, when slow-growing tumors are identified at an early stage, your doctor may recommend simply monitoring your situation closely to determine if and when active treatment should begin.
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Cryosurgery—a procedure that freezes the prostate gland under controlled conditions, in an attempt to cure cancer. While this treatment option is not widely utilized, it is occasionally employed—mostly for cases where other treatment methods have failed.
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