Radical prostatectomy is the removal of the entire prostate. It is an option for prostate cancer that has not spread to other areas of your body. We use minimally invasive robotic surgery for prostatectomies whenever possible to reduce healing time and get you back to your daily life more quickly.

Radiation therapy is an alternative to surgery for cancer that has not spread beyond the prostate. We use methods that deliver high doses of radiation therapy in less time, such as intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT).

IMRT and SBRT tailor radiation beams to the tumor’s exact shape. These technologies reduce treatment from nine weeks to four weeks (IMRT) or sometimes five days (SBRT), depending on your condition. We are the only site in Vermont that offers prostate SBRT.

Your care may also include:

• Hydrogel rectal spacer: Is a small liquid pouch your doctor inserts between the prostate and rectum. The spacer protects the rectum from the effects of radiation.
• Image guided radiation therapy (IGRT): Uses CT or ultrasound images to guide the delivery of radiation, including IMRT or SBRT

Some types of radiation therapy are available at sites throughout UVM Health. Specialists at University of Vermont Medical Center often make initial radiation therapy plans and collaborate with local physicians to deliver your care.

Androgens (male sex hormones) fuel prostate cancer cell growth. Androgen deprivation therapy (also called hormone therapy) helps slow this process. This treatment is often combined with radiation therapy as an initial treatment or to help control prostate cancer that comes back after surgery or has spread beyond the prostate.

Medical oncology treatments are available for cancer that has spread outside the prostate, doesn’t respond to initial treatment or returns after treatment. They include:

• Hormonal therapy: Lowers levels of male hormones to slow cancer growth
• Immunotherapy: Directs your immune system to destroy cancer cells
• Radiopharmaceutical therapy, such as Lutetium-177 (Pluvicto™): Combines a radioactive element with a molecule that attaches to a protein on the tumor cell (such as PSMA). The radioactivity destroys the tumor cell.
• Targeted therapy: Binds to certain molecules on the surface of cancer cells and attacks the cells
• Chemotherapy: Medications that destroy cancer cells

This treatment applies extreme cold to prostate tissue, destroying cancer cells and their ability to multiply. Cryotherapy may be an option if you are not eligible for other therapies or if cancer comes back after treatment.

Clinical trials are a routine part of care team discussions. Participation in a clinical trial can give you access to new care methods years before they are widely available and is always voluntary.

Our multidisciplinary team of prostate cancer specialists participate in cooperative group, industry and investigator-led studies. If you are eligible for a specific trial, your provider will explain the benefits and risks of participating and the next steps for enrollment.