Radical prostatectomy

Radical prostatectomy (surgical removal of the prostate) offers the possibility of a cure only if the cancer has not spread to the lymph nodes in the pelvis or to other parts of the body. Therefore, when the risk of spread is judged to be high, some surgeons perform a laparoscopic biopsy to obtain samples of the lymph nodes before the planned prostatectomy; others sample the lymph nodes at the time of the scheduled prostatectomy and discontinue the operation if the cancer has spread. However, it is uncommon today (because of PSA testing) to find disease that has spread to the lymph nodes at the time of surgery. If enlarged lymph nodes are discovered on a CT scan or MRI, a fine needle biopsy to remove some cells from the lymph nodes may be performed to determine whether the cancer has spread.

Health Tips from Dr. Healy: Video: Why cancer patients should stop smoking Choose another disease or condition... Allergic Rhinitis Allergies, Food Allergy & Asthma Center Alzheimer's Disease Anxiety Aortic Aneurysms Arrhythmia Arthritis, Osteo- (OA) Arthritis, Rheumatoid (RA) Asthma Atopic Dermatitis Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Back Pain Brain Tumor Bones, Joints & Muscles Center Breast Cancer Brain & Behavior Center Brain Tumor Cancer Center    Brain Tumor    Breast Cancer    Cancer Prevention    Clinical Trials    Colorectal Cancer    Endometrial Cancer    Living With and Beyond Cancer    Lung Cancer    Prostate Cancer    Skin Cancer Cardiomyopathy Cataracts Cholesterol Control Clinical Trials Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Colorectal Cancer Congenital Heart Disease Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) Crohn's Disease Depression Diabetes Center Diabetes, Type 1 Diabetes, Type 2 Digestive Disorders Center Eczema Endometrial Cancer Erectile Dysfunction (ED) Eye & Vision Center Fibromyalgia Food Allergies Gallstone Disease Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) GERD Glaucoma Hay Fever Headache Heart Center Hepatitis A Hepatitis B Hepatitis C High Blood Pressure Hypertension Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) Impotence Insomnia Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Living With and Beyond Cancer Losing Weight Lung Cancer Macular Degeneration Memory Loss Osteoarthritis (OA) Osteoporosis Parkinson's Disease Peptic Ulcer Prediabetes Prostate Cancer Respiratory Disorders Center Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) Sexual & Reproductive Health Center Sinusitis Skin Cancer Sleep Apnea Sleep Center Stroke Type 1 Diabetes Type 2 Diabetes Ulcerative Colitis (UC) Weight Control Eight steps you can take to reduce your risk of cancer Interested in a clinical trial? Here's all you need to know See the top online resources for prostate cancer information How to lose weight and keep it off Prostate Cancer-Related Clinical Trials Information Email this page Print this section

Radical prostatectomy is the only treatment for localized prostate cancer (cancer confined to the prostate) that has been proven to reduce deaths from the disease. A study published in 2002 found that Swedish men randomized to radical prostatectomy had a 50 percent reduction in their risk of dying of prostate cancer eight years after diagnosis, compared with men randomized to watchful waiting.

Rare complications of radical prostatectomy include narrowing of the urethra (urethral stricture), damage to the rectum, and the surgical and anesthetic risks (including death) that accompany any operation.

Some surgeons are using laparoscopy to perform radical prostatectomy. The laparoscopic procedure is less invasive than traditional prostatectomy; it requires five tiny incisions on the abdomen rather than one long one. It is still considered an evolving procedure, however.

This section includes information on:

• Nerve-sparing technique
• After surgery