Treatment comparison

Watchful Waiting

Watchful Waiting

Monitoring of prostate cancer with PSA testing and scans until it has spread outside of the prostate gland, causing bothersome symptoms or kidney problems.

Active Surveillance

Monitoring of prostate cancer with a plan for regular PSA testing, MRI scans, and sometimes repeat biopsies.

Radical Prostatectomy (Surgery)

This is the removal of all the prostate.

Radiotherapy

In radiotherapy (also known as external beam radiotherapy), high-energy X-ray beams are targeted at your prostate from outside of the body.

High Dose Rate Brachytherapy

A type of internal radiotherapy that involves placing thin tubes into the prostate gland.

Low Dose Rate Brachytherapy

A type of internal radiotherapy that involves implanting tiny seeds into the prostate.

Focal Therapy

Focal therapy only targets the area of the prostate that contains the most significant cancer. There are different types of focal therapy including HIFU, cryotherapy and nanoknife.

Hormone Therapy (injections)

Injections that block or lower the amount of testosterone in the body. Also known as androgen deprivation therapy. For example leuprorelin (Prostap), goserelin (Zoladex), buserelin (Suprefact), triptorelin (Decapeptyl) or degarelix (Firmagon).

Hormone Therapy (tablets)

Tablets that stop the body from making testosterone or prevent testosterone from reaching the prostate cancer cells. For example, enzalutamide (Xtandi), apalutamide (Erleada), darolutamide (Nubeqa), abiraterone acetate (Zytiga) and bicalutamide (Casodex).

Chemotherapy

Anti-cancer drugs, often, but not always, given by a drip into your arm.

Radium-223

A radioactive material injected into your arm to treat prostate cancer that has spread to the bones.

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