What is the treatment for my husband's prostate cancer?

Question

Hello doctor,

My husband, who is 60 years old, has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. I am struggling to understand the treatment options, including surgery, radiation, or hormone therapy, and their long-term side effects. As his caregiver, I want to know how to support him emotionally while also managing my own stress.

Does prostate cancer treatment always affect sexual health and relationships?
How do we decide when aggressive treatment is needed versus monitoring?
Are there caregiver support groups for women going through this journey with their partners?

Kindly help.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I understand and truly appreciate the amount of fear and anxiety you are going through once your husband has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. This is something that naturally causes worry and stress and leaves you with many questions and concerns.

Initially, we choose the treatment based on the aggressiveness of the tumor, meaning how aggressive the tumor is, so that we can decide what to include in our treatment plan. For example, if the PSA (prostate-specific antigen) level is higher than 10 and the Gleason score is greater than or equal to seven, then the treatment options would be either surgery or radiotherapy. However, if the PSA level is less than 10 and the Gleason score is less than seven, we prefer active surveillance in this case. This means monitoring the patient every three months by checking the PSA level, assessing the Gleason score once a year, and performing an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) annually. This approach helps us to avoid treatments that may carry potential risks.

If both the PSA level and the Gleason score are high, we would have to choose between surgery and radiotherapy, and we generally prefer radiotherapy. The reason is that its side effects are much fewer compared to surgical treatment. Surgery can lead to permanent urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction, which are considered permanent side effects. In contrast, radiotherapy may cause temporary bladder irritation and lower gastrointestinal tract (GIT) irritation, which completely resolves over time.

Regarding your marital relationship, it may be affected if we start hormonal therapy, as it reduces sexual desire. Other than that, there are usually no issues with the marital relationship.

You can also join any support group to connect with people whose husbands are experiencing prostate-related conditions. They face similar challenges and can provide you with full psychological support.

I hope you are satisfied with my answer. For further queries, you can consult me at iCliniq.

Thank you.