Radiotherapy for prostate cancer is divided into two types: external radiotherapy (Teletherapy) and internal radiotherapy (Brachytherapy). The principle of both is to use high-energy radiation to destroy the DNA structure of cancer cells, causing their death.
(I) External radiotherapy: The current intensity-modulated conformal radiotherapy (IMRT) treatment can finely adjust the intensity and incident angle of each beam of radiation in three-dimensional space according to the shape of the tumor, so that the radiation energy can be highly accurately concentrated at the lesion to kill cancer cells while reducing damage to surrounding normal tissues, thereby greatly reducing the side effects of treatment.
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(ii) Internal radiotherapy : Doctors place radioactive seeds smaller than rice grains precisely in the prostate under the calculation and control of ultrasound and advanced computer technology. They irradiate the cancer foci at close range with high-intensity rays to kill cancer cells. Other areas outside the prostate, such as the bladder and rectum, receive only very little radiation.
Depending on the patient’s condition, the doctor may recommend one or the other type of radiation therapy, or a combination of the two, along with other methods such as hormone therapy.
Prostate cancer has a high cure rate and good prognosis
Rudy Giuliani, former mayor of New York City, used external and internal radiotherapy for prostate cancer. “He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2000, and now it has been 19 years, and he is still alive,” Dr. Li Xiaohong gave an example.
American stock god Buffett was diagnosed with prostate cancer 9 years ago. After radiotherapy, he is still alive at the age of 91.
“Generally speaking, many low-risk prostate cancer patients are living like normal people 30 or 40 years after diagnosis,” said Dr. Li Xiaohong. “It is not uncommon for people to still be alive 15 or 20 years after treatment.”
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