Treatment for prostate cancer is highly individual. It should reflect not only the diagnosis, but your health, lifestyle and values. At Penn Medicine, our prostate cancer experts help you sort through it all.
In our high-volume prostate cancer program, we treat many individuals using both standard therapies and cutting-edge technologies. Those numbers translate into the experience and expertise needed to deliver better outcomes and a more comfortable patient experience.
Types of prostate cancer treatments
Treatment at Penn Medicine considers every part of you and your life. We offer the full range of prostate cancer therapies, along with promising new treatments through clinical trials.
Prostate cancer treatment: why choose Penn Medicine?
Our comprehensive prostate cancer program provides the latest and most effective treatments available. From minimally invasive surgeries to therapies that target each cancer’s DNA, you have access to treatments that cure cancer and improve quality of life. Your care also features:
- Subspecialized doctors: Because our cancer program is so large, you have the rare opportunity to be treated by cancer specialists who only focus on prostate cancer. This subspecialization means that your radiation oncologist or cancer surgeon is a prostate cancer expert. Their experience and knowledge, which includes expertise in the latest care advances, leads to better outcomes.
- Safer treatments: Research shows that high-dose radiation (dose-escalated) therapy can improve outcomes. But more radiation increases the risk that healthy tissues and organs will be exposed. We are one of the few health systems using SpaceOAR Hydrogel, a hydrogel spacer. The SpaceOAR procedure protects the rectum from radiation by using gel to create a space between the prostate and rectum.
- Advanced technology: The prostate can be hard to see clearly without the right imaging technology. That’s why our radiation oncologists use an MR simulator for prostate cancer treatment planning. The MR simulator takes images of you in the treatment position, making radiation treatments safer and more effective.
- Comprehensive salvage therapy options: Sometimes prostate cancer returns (recurs) or is not completely cured after initial treatment. When this happens, salvage therapy for recurrent cancer can be helpful. We offer these lifesaving options, including salvage cryotherapy and salvage prostatectomy. Learn more about our salvage therapies.
- At-home hormone therapy: For your convenience and safety, we now offer hormone therapy treatments in the comfort of your own home. A nurse visits you where you live and administers the treatment.
- 24/7 care for treatment side effects: While lifesaving, some prostate cancer treatments may cause side effects including incontinence and erectile dysfunction. Our doctors specialize in managing these issues to improve your quality of life during and after treatment. We also provide urgent care for any problems you experience while in treatment. Just call your doctor’s office during regular business hours or send a message via MyChart by myPennMedicine. Read more about managing cancer treatment side effects.
- Support: Your care involves physical, financial and emotional support. You can also join a monthly, online prostate cancer support group for patients and caregivers. See more of our cancer support services.
Rated “exceptional” by The National Cancer Institute
Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center is a world leader in cancer research, patient care, and education. Our status as a national leader in cancer care is reflected in our continuous designation as a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) since 1973, one of 7 such centers in the United States. The ACC is also a member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, one of a select few cancer centers in the U.S., that are working to promote equitable access to high-quality, advanced cancer care.