You will have regular visits to the doctor and
examinations.
You and your doctor will watch for signs that the
cancer may be changing.
You may repeat the same tests you had before, such
as DREs and PSA tests.
Surgery
Surgery takes about 2 to 4 hours.
Most patients stay in the hospital for 2 to 4 days.
After surgery, you will need to use a catheter (tube to
drain your urine) for 1 to 2 weeks.
Radiation
Therapy
External Beam Radiation
Your doctor will calculate the dose of the radiation
beam to the cancer location while trying to avoid
the nearby normal tissue.
You will lie on a table while a large machine with a
beam targets your cancer cells using radiation.
Each session takes about 15 minutes and is given
daily for 5 days a week for 6 to 8 weeks.
Brachytherapy or Seed Implants
Radioactive seeds (the size of grains of rice) are
inserted into the prostate or surrounding area
using hollow needles through the space between
the scrotum and the anus.
It takes 1 to 2 hours with spinal or general
anesthesia.
