Answers, options and care when you need them
A prostate cancer concern can feel overwhelming. We’re here to make things clearer. At Marshfield Clinic, you’ll meet a team that explains your options in plain language, personalizes your plan and supports you through every step, from testing and diagnosis to treatment and recovery. Prostate cancer is common and often treatable, especially when found early.
Contact us for care
Call: (866) 520-2510; Monday-Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Types of prostate cancer we treat
We tailor the most effective treatment plan for you, depending on the type of cancer.
Types of cancers we treat include:
- Adenocarcinomas, or the most common type of prostate cancer
- Small-cell or neuroendocrine
- Urothelial, or transitional cell
- Sarcomas
Risk factors
Knowing your risk can help you decide when to get evaluated or discuss prostate cancer screening with a provider.
Risk factors include:
- Age: Risk rises after of 50, and in most cases after the age of 65
- Family history and genetics: A father or brother with prostate cancer increases your risk; certain genes and genetic conditions (e.g., BRCA1/2, Lynch syndrome) may also raise your risk of prostate cancer
- Race: Black men are more likely to develop prostate cancer and are more likely to be diagnosed with aggressive disease
- Lifestyle and diet: Obesity and diets in red meat and low in fruits and vegetables can increase risk
- Chemical exposure: Some evidence shows increased risk due to arsenic or agent orange exposure, as well as increased risk in firefighters
Signs and symptoms
Early prostate cancer often causes no symptoms, which is why proactive screening matters. When symptoms do occur, they may include:
- Urinary changes (including weak or interrupted flow, frequent urination, trouble getting started when trying to urinate and waking up more often at night to urinate)
- Blood in urine or semen
- When prostate cancer spreads to other areas of the body (advanced prostate cancer) other symptoms occur including:
- Erectile dysfunction
- Pain in the bones, back, hips, or pelvis
- Weakness or numbness in the legs or feet
- Unexplained weight loss
- Severe fatigue
If these symptoms are new or persistent, schedule an appointment with your primary care provider. Many prostate and urinary symptoms are caused by noncancerous conditions, and the right evaluation can put your mind at ease.
Treatments
Your care team will tailor treatment to your diagnosis, health and preferences. Options may include one or a combination of the following:
Active surveillance
For some low risk cancers, close monitoring with scheduled exams and tests can delay or avoid side effects of treatment while keeping you safe.
Surgery
- Laparoscopic radical prostatectomy: Surgeons remove the prostate gland using several small incisions
- Robotic prostatectomy: Surgeons use the robotic-assisted Da Vinci system to remove the prostate gland. This minimally invasive procedure has faster recovery times and uses nerve-sparing techniques.
- Transuretheral resection of the prostate (TURP): Can sometimes be done for advanced stage prostate cancer to help relieve symptoms
Radiation therapy
- External beam radiation (EBRT): Radiation is directed at the cancer from outside the body. Advanced techniques help precisely target the cancer and preserve healthy tissue
- Internal Radiation Therapy (Brachytherapy): For some early-stage prostate cancers, radioactive “seeds” can be implanted in the prostate
Hormone therapy (ADT)
Androgen deprivation therapy lowers or blocks male hormones that drive cancer growth. ADT is often used with radiation for high-risk disease or advanced disease; newer hormone drugs can help if the cancer stops responding to older hormone drugs.
Systemic therapies
For advanced stage prostate cancer, treatment can include chemotherapy, immunotherapy or targeted therapy.
Clinical trials
Clinical trials are research studies that test new ways to treat cancer. The Marshfield Clinic Research Institute has over 100 cancer-related clnical trials. Ask your care team if there is a clinical trial right for you.