What Role Does Radiation Therapy Play In The Treatment Of Prostate Cancer?

March 16, 2009 -- Question: What role does radiation therapy play in the treatment of prostate cancer?

Answer: Radiation and surgery are the two main techniques used for the treatment of men with prostate cancer. There are two main kinds of radiation: external beam radiation or implanted radiation, otherwise known as brachytherapy. Radiation is available for men with all different staged cancers and all different ages. The type used depends upon the size of the cancer, from the smallest, earliest staged disease, all the way up to the largest, most advanced prostate cancer. More details of the different kinds of radiation will be discussed later in this section.