Tell Us What's Going On
You Talk. We Listen. We Share. We Learn.
Tell us - or remind us - about yourself...
As much or as little as you like:
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your name, age, where you're located, insurance, etc.
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where you're getting treatments.
... and what you've learned so far
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your current diagnosis and treatments
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what you know so far.
Together we talk about treatments and options
Advanced diagnoses often call for a combination of treatments. The forum is unstructured, free-form: you can talk about your diagnosis, hear about advances in diagnosis and treatment, and review options. It's up to you.
What We Talk About Depends on You
Knowledge is Power
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Moderators and participants generally talk about various therapies, ranging from radiation (and radiation-like treatments) to hormone therapies to surgery - and sometimes a combination of therapies.
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You can find a short guide to some core terminology used in Advanced/Recurring discussions below.
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If you're new to the Forum, check the terms and resources on the Newly Diagnosed page.
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We may also reference some of the local experts who have presented to us - their presentations can be found at prostateforum.org/presentations.
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And remember, we do not give medical advice, but we do follow NCCN and PCI Guidelines.
Guidelines
The Prostate Cancer Foundation and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) maintain excellent patient guides to Prostate Cancer.
Prostate Cancer Foundation
Terminology
Advanced/Recurrent Discussion
The list below briefly explains some of the main terms you'll hear at the Advanced Forum When you are ready to go deeper, you'll find more comprehensive definitions on the Terms to Know page, links to a wealth of helpful information on the Resources page, and expert up-to-date presentations on many of these topics in our Presentations Library.
Treatment
What It Does
Possible Side Effects
Surgery (Radical Prostatectomy)
Removes the cancerous tissue and the prostate.
Types include:
- Radical prostatectomy: Complete removal of prostate and some surrounding tissue
- Robotic-assisted prostatectomy: Using robotic technology for more precise surgery
- Nerve-sparing prostatectomy: Technique to preserve erectile function
Urinary incontinence, erectile dysfunction (ED), and infertility.
Chemotherapy
Targets cancer cells that grow quickly including cancer cells metastasized to the bone.
Hair loss, fragile bones and nervous system disorders like confusion, depression, headaches, and nausea.
Radiation Therapy
Slows prostate cancer cell growth by targeting cells externally or by injection.
Main types include:
1. External Beam Radiation Therapy (EBRT):
- Traditional EBRT
- IMRT (Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy)
- SBRT (Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy)
2. Brachytherapy:
- Low-dose rate (permanent seed implants)
- High-dose rate (temporary implants)
ED, incontinence, diarrhea, rectal bleeding and discomfort during urination and bowel movement.
Bone-related Treatment
Inhibits bone loss and fractures and relieves pain from prostate cancer in the bone.
Tiredness, diarrhea, nausea, and weakness
Immunotherapy
Treatment by stimulation of the body’s immune system.
Types include:
- Sipuleucel-T (Provenge)
- Checkpoint inhibitors
- CAR T-cell therapy (experimental)
Fever
Androgen Deprivation Therapy (ADT) or Hormone Therapy (HT)
Hormone Therapy (also called Androgen Deprivation Therapy), is the use of medication or surgery (removal of testicles) to prevent cancer cells from getting the hormones needed to grow. In prostate cancer this means the hormone testosterone.
Methods include:
- LHRH agonists/antagonists
- Anti-androgens
- Orchiectomy (surgical removal of testicles)
ED, hot flashes and bone loss