Scientists at Wolfson Hospital are working on a new and promising method of treating prostate cancer, which has undeniable advantages over “traditional” methods of treatment and can revolutionize the approach to treating cancer in Israel.

In Israel, the tumor is exposed to light radiation

Wolfson Hospital scientists are working on a new and promising methodcancer treatmentprostate, which has undeniable advantages over “traditional” methods of treatment and can revolutionize the approach cancer treatment in Israel.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among middle-aged and elderly men.

At the same time, the methods of its treatment used today, which include surgical treatment, chemotherapy and radiation therapy, have a number of quite serious side effects.

Recently, Israeli scientists and prominent representatives of Israeli medicine have been studying a new method of treating this disease, which consists of influencing the tumor using focused light radiation. This type of treatment is called Vascular Targeted Photodynamic Therapy (VTP). The VTP method was developed in Israel by specialists from the Research Institute named after. Weizmann, led by Professor Avigdor Schertz and Professor Yoram Solomon. Recently, the new method was tested on humans in the USA and Europe.

Progress of clinical trials

During clinical trials, at the initial stage of the procedure, the patient was injected with a light-sensitive drug (tookad Soluble), which enters the bloodstream, including the vessels supplying blood to a malignant prostate tumor. This substance is a derivative of chlorophyll, a substance due to which the process of photosynthesis in plants is carried out. Then the patients were given local anesthesia and an optical fiber was inserted into the prostate gland in a minimally invasive manner, under ultrasound guidance. Next, the tumor was irradiated for 20 minutes using an optical fiber with light at a wavelength in the infrared spectrum, which is most effectively absorbed by the injected drug. When a substance begins to absorb light, a chain of photochemical reactions is automatically launched, which leads to the death of cancer cells. When this type of radiation is applied to the injected drug, a chain of photochemical reactions is automatically launched, which leads to immediate closure of the blood vessels of the tumor and its death within a few hours after a single VTP procedure.

Effectiveness of clinical trials

According to Professor Schertz, the difference between normal and tumor blood vessels, combined with the production of radicals, leads to selective destruction of the prostate tumor with minimal damage to surrounding normal tissue.

The effectiveness of treatment was determined by radiological examinations one month after the VTP procedure, biopsies performed once every 6 months and blood tests for PSA levels. Moreover, 83% of several hundred patients who took part in the study experienced complete disappearance of the prostate tumor after a single VTP procedure and, importantly, without the side effects typical of surgery and radiotherapy.

Currently, clinical trials of the new treatment method, conducted in several dozen medical centers in Europe, are in the third and final stage.

The final stage of the study

After the established two years of observation, scientists expect to receive permission to use the new method from the European Pharmacovigilance Authority. It is also planned to begin the third stage of clinical trials of the VTP method in the United States among similar groups of patients.

Meanwhile, scientists are exploring the possibility of using a new method to treat metastases of prostate cancer, which typically arise first in regional lymph nodes and then spread to distant organs, including the lungs and skeletal bones.

To do this, scientists took prostate carcinoma cells from patients suffering from it, which were then injected into the abdominal cavity of laboratory rodents, as a result of which the latter developed tumors of this type. In some rodents, tumors were removed and 1 mm “models” were created from them and transferred to the prostate gland of rodents. As a result, 50-70% of 11 mice and 13 rats developed prostate tumors, and 37% of them also developed lymph node metastases. The animals then underwent VTP therapy.

After seven days, in 63% of the animals, as a result of the procedure, 70-100% of the cancerous tumor disappeared. Approximately 25% had a partial response to treatment, with tumor shrinkage of 40-50%, and only one rodent showed no change. In addition, in two of the three animals that developed metastatic lesions of the lymph nodes, the procedure also led to the destruction of metastases.

The new study, which is also led by Professor Schertz, includes Dr. Uri Malkovich, a resident in the Department of Urology at Wolfson Hospital, Dr. Ilan Fain from the Research Institute. Weizmann, Dr. Natasha Kudinova from Steba Bioech, which acquired the Institute’s technology implementation company. Weizmann, the right to commercially refine the VTP method, as well as Professor Ami Sidi, head of the Department of Urology at Wolfson Hospital.

According to Dr. Markovich, due to the small size of laboratory rodents, it is difficult at this stage to determine whether the anticancer effect of VTP extends to the vessels supplying the tumor, also to the vessels supplying the metastases, or whether the secret of the effect on metastatic foci lies in direct irradiation of the lymphatics nodes

After several weeks, the CT-based imaging system IVIS (in-vivo imaging system) showed complete disappearance of the malignant tumor.

Future plans

The results of the study were presented at the annual conference of the Israeli Society of Urology, held in Eilat. Currently, scientists from the Research Institute named after. Weizmann continue to conduct research in this area, now together with colleagues from the New York Sloan Kettering Cancer Research Center. Such cooperation with one of the leading medical centers in the world once again proves the importance attached to Israeli discoveries in the field of cancer treatment abroad.

In addition to treating prostate cancer and its metastases, experts are considering the possibility of using a new type of therapy in the treatment of malignant breast tumors.

If the VTP procedure is subsequently proven to be effective and safe when used in humans, its introduction into clinical practice could make a real revolution in the treatment of prostate cancer, since it is devoid of many of the disadvantages and side effects inherent in currently used methods of treating this diseases, which include, among other things, disorders of urination and sexual function. This and other obvious achievements of Israeli oncology explain the fact that more and more patients prefer to undergo cancer treatment in Israel.

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Hormone therapy for prostate cancer is based on the fact that neutralization and suppression of the function of male sex hormones lead to atrophy of the prostate gland and the death of tumor cells in it, followed by the development of scar connective tissue.

Huggins and Clark in 1940 showed in an experiment that estrogens, like castration, cause atrophy of the prostate epithelium, and in 1941 Huggins and Hodges were the first to successfully use the female sex hormone (estradiol benzoate) for prostate cancer. This discovery by Huggins led to careful development

methods of hormonal treatment of the prostate gland

and currently, hormone therapy for this tumor has received universal recognition. Hormone therapy methods, which were initially used only in the late stages of prostate cancer in the presence of metastases of this tumor, over time began to be used in terms of prevention after surgery in earlier stages of the disease.

However, such an excessive enthusiasm for hormone therapy methods is not safe, as indicated by the results of a special study published in 1967, conducted by a group of American urologists who studied

survival rate of prostate cancer patients

depending on the treatment method. A carefully organized cooperative study of the results of treatment using a single method for more than 2000 patients showed that overall 5-year survival of patients with stage I, II and III prostate cancer who received estrogen therapy or estrogen therapy in combination with orchidectomy after surgical treatment was lower than the survival rate of the same patients who did not receive hormone therapy; the survival rate of patients in stage IV of the disease treated with hormone therapy was slightly higher than the survival rate of patients not treated with anything, but the difference was not statistically significant.

A study of the causes of mortality showed that, although

mortality from prostate cancer

was higher among patients not treated with estrogens compared to patients receiving hormone therapy, the latter more often died from cardiovascular diseases. This allowed the authors to conclude that estrogen therapy and orchidectomy are advisable only in the presence of severe clinical symptoms in the late stages of the disease.

Modern methods of treating prostate cancer in late stages of the disease

are based on a combination of surgical removal of the tumor with enucleation of the testicles and the introduction of estrogens. However, there is no complete consensus on the issue of indications for prostatectomy and castration in these patients, so the choice of complex therapy method should be determined individually for each patient, and it is important to take into account not only the form and stage of the disease, but also the state of the patient’s cardiovascular system.

The day after prostate surgery, the administration of estrogens is started, usually oil solutions of diethylstilbestrol or sinestrol in an amount of 40-60 mg, sometimes up to 100 mg per day. The pain and swelling of the nipples of the mammary glands that occurs after 10-12 injections, as well as pigmentation of the skin of the posterior surface of the penis and the anterior surface of the scrotum, are an indicator of the body’s response to the administration of the drug and do not serve as a contraindication to further use of estrogens. If by the end of the first month of treatment for prostate cancer there is a significant decrease in the tumor, the dose can be reduced to 30-40 mg per day. If well tolerated, the first course of treatment is continued for up to 3-4 months (E. B. Marienbach, 1967), after which they move on to maintenance therapy, which is one of the main conditions for the success of hormone therapy. Stopping it or taking a long break can lead to the neutralization of the achieved hormonal changes in the body as a result of increased function of the adrenal glands and, possibly, the pituitary gland, after which a second attempt at hormone therapy is usually unsuccessful. It is believed that this may be due to the development of adenomatous formations in the adrenal glands, producing increased amounts of androgens. Based on these ideas, adrenalectomy was proposed for the development of resistance to estrogen therapy after orchiectomy, as well as chemical adrenalectomy, i.e., suppression of adrenal function by systematic administration of corticosteroids.

Hormone therapy allows one to obtain positive results in 60-80% of patients with advanced forms of prostate cancer, and in some cases this effect is quite persistent.

When the primary tumor in the prostate gland is not removed, the symptoms of urinary disorders disappear, and sometimes the tumor is no longer clinically detectable. In some cases, an inoperable tumor can be removed after treatment with hormones. Under the influence of hormone therapy in patients with bone metastases Bone pain decreases or disappears, health improves, and sometimes radiologically detectable recalcification of bone lesions occurs. In some cases, even patients with widespread metastases become able to work.

Therapy of prostate cancer with fosfestrol

(diethylstilbestrol phosphorus ester). This drug itself has no antitumor effect, but in prostate cancer tumor cells, under the influence of phosphatases, it is converted into the active compound diethylstilbestrol. Treatment of prostate cancer begins with daily intravenous administration of 500-1000 mg (sometimes up to 1500 mg) of fosfestrol for 10-25 days, then for 10-20 days the daily dose is 250 mg, and after achieving a clinical effect the patient is given maintenance therapy , while the drug is most often given orally with a gradual reduction of the daily dose over several months from 600 to 300, 200 and 100 mg. An important circumstance is that fosfestrol is well tolerated by patients and is sometimes effective even when the tumor is resistant to conventional estrogens.

For the treatment of prostate cancer

A phosphorylated polymer derived from the natural estrogen estradiol, estradurine, can be used. This long-acting drug is used intramuscularly at 40-80 mg and even 120 mg 1-2 times a month.

Finally, the arsenal of drugs used for hormonal therapy for prostate cancer also includes chlorotrianisene (1,1,2-trianisyl-2-chloroethylene), used orally in daily doses of 24-36 mg for a long period. There is evidence that this drug has both a direct effect on tumor cells and the ability to suppress the activity of the pituitary gland and at the same time the adrenal cortex, where steroids with androgenic activity can be produced.

Estrogen tolerance is quite individual, and in case of increased sensitivity, you can try to replace one of them with another (currently, about 200 compounds with estrogenic activity are known, including natural estrogens - derivatives of cyclopentanephenanthrene - and synthetic estrogens from the stilbene class - diethylstilbestrol, sinestrol) . However, despite the fairly large range of drugs that can be used for hormone therapy for prostate cancer, about 10-15% of patients with this form of cancer are resistant to hormonal influences. Such resistance can be primary or acquired.

In the fight against developing resistance, a change in estrogens is useful, for example, replacing stilbene estrogens (diethylstilbestrol, sinestrol) with cyclopentaphenanthrene or with fosfestrol, estradurine or chlorotrianisene.

Attempts to use such antitumor drugs as alkylating agents (cyclophosan, thiophosphamide), as well as antibiotics (adriamycin) and herbal drugs (vinblastine) for prostate cancer have so far been little successful.

Minimally invasive methods of treating oncology at an early stage of the disease have proven to be the most effective methods of treatment. Minimal harm to the body is combined with high effectiveness.

Photodynamic therapy for prostate cancer is characterized by selectivity of tissue damage and the possibility, if necessary, of repeating the operation.

Photodynamic therapy - what is it?

The photodynamic method of treating prostate cancer (Vascular Targeted Photodynamic Therapy) is based on the body’s ability to accumulate photosensitizers - substances that, when irradiated, provoke the release of singlet oxygen.

The destruction of malignant cells is carried out in several stages:

• Administration of photosensitizers - administered through a vein or by injection directly into the prostate gland. After accumulation of substances, they move on to the second stage of treatment.
• Irradiation - performed with a laser or infrared emitter. When exposed to a beam of different intensity spectrum, photosensitizers react and cause damage to the malignant formation.

The effectiveness of the method largely depends on the substance used. Before prescribing photodynamic therapy, the attending physician will select sensitizers according to several criteria:

• Selectivity in the destruction of cancer cells.
• Toxicity and rate of elimination from the body.
• Accumulation in the skin, etc.

The most widely used is the use of plant palladium, better known as Tookad. The drug was developed by Israeli scientists, leading researchers in oncology.

Several versions of photosensitizers have been developed:

• WST-09.
• WST-11.

The drugs differ from each other in the intensity of their effects and the speed of elimination from the body. Thus, WST-11 can be irradiated within 20 minutes after administration, which reduces the toxicity of the drug to the body.

Plant palladium belongs to the latest generation of medicines. The negative effects of the use of substances, including skin sensitization, were reduced.

Indications and contraindications for PDT

The photodynamic therapy method for prostate cancer uses substances that, after transformation, are toxic. All contraindications are associated with the negative effects of the drugs.

PDT is prohibited in the presence of several pathological processes and diseases:

• Inflammatory processes of the genitourinary system.
• Heart diseases.
• Pathological changes in the liver.
• Allergy to one of the active components of the bacterial-chlorophyll preparation.

The effectiveness of PDT has been proven for:

• Malignant formations are not sensitive to the effects of chemotherapy, radiation and hormonal agents.
• Recurrence of cancer.
• Presence of metastasis.
• Patient's refusal to undergo surgical excision of the tumor.

PDT is not an exclusively Israeli method of fighting cancer. The developments of Russian specialists showed good results.

How is PDT Tukad performed?

The principle of phototherapy, regardless of the location of the operation (foreign and domestic clinics), is identical. Only the drugs used to treat cancer tumors differ. The technique does not require anesthesia; there are no incisions or postoperative sutures.

Reviews from patients show the effectiveness of the treatment. Efficiency (up to 70%) has improved significantly since the invention of new generation sensitizers. After phototherapy, in order to prevent relapse, the patient is regularly examined and tested for.

Where can I get therapy?

The choice of clinic depends entirely on the patient’s preferences and financial capabilities. Phototherapy is a method with ever-increasing popularity.

Large oncology clinics in Russia and Ukraine are constantly thinking about opening PDT departments. In Israel, photodynamic therapy is performed in almost every medical center.

You can contact the following oncology clinics:

• MC Tel Aviv CLINIC (Israel) - reception takes place at Tel Aviv, st. Weitzman 14.
• MC Magic Ray (Russia) - the clinic is located in Moscow, on the street. Talmanskaya 1, building 3.
• Assuta MC (Israel) - the clinic is located in Tel Aviv, st. Ha-Berzel 20.

The cost of prostate cancer treatment with PDT in Israel with a full examination of the body will cost an average of $25-30,000. The price of therapy is affected by the chosen clinic and the photosensitizers used.

Effectiveness and long-term prognosis after PDT

Experience in the use of photodynamic therapy in the treatment of prostate cancer has shown that the method is more effective than the method and is approximately equal to the tumor. In this case, the patient recovers faster and begins to lead a full life.

Positive results of photodynamic therapy are observed in three out of four patients. The technique is not limited to cancerous tumors and can be used even after the appearance of metastasis.

The invention and subsequent introduction of Tukad photosensitizers in the treatment of prostate cancer was a significant breakthrough and completely changed the approach to cancer. Side effects were minimized and hospitalization time was reduced.

The championship in the number of cured patients is occupied by Israeli clinics, which have extensive experience in helping patients, including those at stages 3-4 of oncology. In Russian and Ukrainian clinics, dynamic phototherapy has not received widespread use.

Photodynamic therapy is a new approach to the treatment of cancer. The principle of photodynamic therapy is that the local action of an inactive drug is activated by a light source. A non-toxic drug is administered intravenously, irradiation with a laser with a certain wavelength in the area of ​​influence leads to the release of reactive oxygen-containing substances that cause cell damage and tumor necrosis, with minimal impact on surrounding tissues. Tucad is a plant...

Photodynamic therapy – a new approach to the treatment of cancer. The principle of photodynamic therapy is that the local action of an inactive drug is activated by a light source. A non-toxic drug is administered intravenously, irradiation with a laser with a specific wavelength in the area of ​​influence leads to the release of reactive oxygen-containing substances that cause cell damage and tumor necrosis, with minimal impact on surrounding tissue.

Tucad is a plant palladium-bacterial-chlorophyll preparation for PDT of prostate cancer. Invented by Dr. Avigdor Schertz in 1999 (Israel). The production of the drug is carried out by STEBA BIOTECH NV (France). In the laboratory, Drs. Scherz A. and Salomon J. showed that photoactivation of Tukada by intravenous fiber optic radiation immediately after its administration causes oxidative damage to tumor vessels, resulting in tumor ischemia and necrosis. Pharmacokinetic tests were carried out on cell cultures and laboratory animals. The effectiveness of Tukada in laboratory animals 90 days after PDT for subcutaneous tumors is 73%, for bone tumors – 50%.

In an experiment on laboratory animals (dogs), it was demonstrated that therapeutic doses of PDT with Tucad do not cause structural or functional disorders of the urethra and rectum.

Currently, photodynamic therapy with Tukad approx.

It is used mainly in patients with prostate cancer who, despite undergoing radiation therapy, continue to progress, as a last resort. Apparently, the indications will be expanded in the future. In the majority of patients, photodynamic therapy with Tucad resulted in the elimination of cancer cells on repeat biopsies and a decrease in PSA levels. It will be possible to speak reliably about the effectiveness and safety of PDT with Tukad only after conducting randomized clinical trials.

Since 2004, clinical trials of Tukada in the treatment of prostate cancer have begun in Canada, France, Great Britain, Israel and the USA. Perhaps in the future, photodynamic therapy will be the treatment of choice for patients with prostate cancer.

*material provided by the clinic "A happy family"

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In modern medical practice, certain standards for the treatment of malignant prostate tumors have emerged.

Typically, after a diagnosis of localized prostate cancer, radical prostatectomy, brachytherapy, radiation therapy, hormonal therapy, and follow-up are the approved treatments.

The goal of a radical prostatectomy is the complete removal of prostate tissue, often including regional pelvic lymph nodes, performed open or laparoscopically.

Brachytherapy involves introducing isotopes into cancer cells that make the tumor tissue more sensitive to ionizing radiation, followed by irradiation.

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For prostate cancer that extends beyond the organ, in the presence of metastases, hormonal drugs aimed at suppressing the male hormone testosterone, as well as the use of cytostatic drugs, are used for treatment.

The oncological diagnosis of prostate cancer is coded by TNM, where:

• T - tumor - tumor prevalence
• N - nodulus - metastases to regional lymph nodes
• M - metastasis - separated metastases

T or tumor extent has 5 options:

• T0 - no tumor detected
• T1 - local
• T2 - within the organ
• T3 - sprouts capsule
• T4 - grows into neighboring organs

N or lymph node metastasis has four options:

• N0 - lymph nodes are intact
• N1, 2, 3 - varying degrees of severity of metastasis to regional lymph nodes

M has only 2 options, M0, when there are no distant metastases, and M1, when there are.

There is also Nx or Mx coding when there is insufficient data to accurately determine the stage or diagnosis is difficult.

Treatment of prostate cancer with and without metastases has significant differences. It has been noticed that after removal of the main tumor, metastatic cells, if present, “raise their heads” and their development occurs more actively than before the operation. Therefore, if there are metastases only in regional lymph nodes, the operation involves total lymphadenectomy of all accessible regional lymph nodes, followed by irradiation or chemical exposure.

In the presence of distant metastases, and prostate cancer is characterized by metastasis to the bones, it is possible to use hormonal treatment, systemic chemotherapy in combination with or without surgical treatment.

• How to fight prostate cancer? Using all possible methods and achievements of modern medicine, under the supervision of a doctor and preferably in the early stages.
• How to relieve pain from prostate cancer? Pain relief from prostate cancer is carried out using narcotic and non-narcotic analgesics, according to the prescription of the attending physician.

Treatment of prostate cancer in an elderly man, especially in old age, presents serious difficulties:

• In the event that surgical treatment poses a serious threat to the patient’s health or if he has other diseases with an unfavorable prognosis. These may be serious problems of the heart, blood vessels, decompensated heart failure, a disease of the central nervous system, such as stroke, or other oncological diseases.
• If the patient's life expectancy is less than 5-10 years or the body is severely weakened. Considering the slow development of this type of tumor, dynamic observation and palliative care are recommended for such a patient.

Radical prostatectomy, like other operations under general anesthesia, is not recommended for patients over 70 years of age, but this recommendation requires an individual approach.

A tumor characterized by the symptoms of stage 4 prostate cancer is considered inoperable when there is significant invasion into neighboring organs and the presence of distant metastases. All palliative measures to slow down the growth of the tumor and maintain the functioning of the body come to the aid of such a patient.

How to treat prostate cancer with hormone therapy

In the presence of widespread metastases, the question of “how to treat prostate cancer” can be solved with the help of hormonal therapy. With the help of hormonal therapy, tumor cells are not eliminated, but their growth is significantly suppressed.

The fact is that one of the reasons for the development of prostate cancer may be a high level of testosterone in the blood; it also stimulates tumor growth. Its elimination of androgens from the body or blockade of receptors of cells sensitive to them has a positive effect and can slow down the growth and spread of the malignant process.

Treatment of prostate cancer in this direction is possible in various ways. In the last century, such a radical remedy as orchiopexy or removal of the testicles was often used.

Currently, hormonal therapy for prostate cancer is carried out mainly with the help of medications.

Medicine has the following groups of hormonal drugs for prostate cancer at its disposal:

• Releasing hormone or releasing factor agonists, which help reduce testosterone production at the level of luteinizing hormone production in the pituitary gland. These are Zoladex, LuPone and Trelstar. The drugs are administered once a month. At the very beginning of taking hormone-releasing agonists, a short-term release of testosterone is observed, which requires the use of antiandrogens.
• Antiandrogens prevent the binding of testosterone and receptors on prostate and tumor cells, and therefore block its action. These are Nitulamide, Flutamide and others. Their use is associated with a risk of developing diabetes mellitus, and there is an assumption of an increased risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and their complications.
• Estrogens or female sex hormones. They act as testosterone antagonists, are indicated in cases where antiandrogens do not work, and have a large number of side effects, one of which may be breast enlargement.

Hormone therapy for prostate cancer can be carried out continuously or in courses.

Currently, a regimen of intermittent hormonal therapy has been developed, in which drugs are taken over a period of several months to a year. Afterwards, under PSA monitoring, they take a break and, when the PSA level rises, begin a new course of hormone therapy. According to observational data, the number of complications with such therapy is less than with continuous use.

With a significant decrease in testosterone levels in the male body, symptoms of the so-called male menopause are observed - fatigue, anemia, memory loss, hot flashes, weight gain with a decrease in muscle mass, impotence, and cardiovascular diseases “bloom.”

In some cases, prostate tumor cells become insensitive to hormonal therapy, or hormone-resistant, that is, during antiandrogen therapy and low testosterone levels, PSA levels continue to increase.

In such cases, a maximum antiandrogen blockade is carried out, the abolition or replacement of antiandrogen drugs, the addition of estrogens, the prescription of ketoconazole and other drugs that suppress adrenaline, as well as chemotherapy and immunotherapeutic methods.

Hormonal drugs for prostate cancer have a certain elimination time, and if a releasing hormone agonist can be administered once a month, androgenic and estrogenic drugs have a relatively short duration of action and can be prescribed for daily use. After stopping taking hormonal drugs, their elimination from the body occurs gradually.

How to treat prostate cancer with chemotherapy drugs

According to international recommendations on how to treat prostate cancer in complex therapy and in the presence of metastases, the use of chemotherapy is assumed.

Chemotherapy involves the use of cytostatic drugs that block the growth and development of rapidly dividing cells, which include undifferentiated malignant cells.

Chemotherapy is especially indicated for inoperable cancer, bone metastases and ineffective hormonal therapy.

Chemotherapy drugs for prostate cancer have different mechanisms of action.

• Mitoxanthone and Vinblastine are antitumor antibiotics; they inhibit the growth, reproduction and development of growing cells, primarily cancer cells, but also damage hair and red bone marrow.
• Doxirubicin - binds to the DNA of cells and blocks protein synthesis in them.
• A group of Taxanes, Paclitaxel, Docetkasel, which prevent the division of tumor cells by affecting their microtubules.
• The drugs Estramustine and Etaposide are also used.

All chemotherapy drugs are prescribed in several courses, under the control of PSA and blood tests. Courses can be repeated after three weeks in the absence of significant side effects and in the presence of stable remission.

Chemotherapy for prostate cancer has significant side effects on organs and systems in which fast-growing cells are present, such as the epithelium of the skin and hair, the hematopoietic system and the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract.

Fighting prostate cancer with testicular removal (castration)

The fight against prostate cancer in the past, in the absence of modern medications and technology, was much more difficult. In the middle of the last century, doctors used the most radical and reliable way to lower testosterone levels, namely castration or orchidectomy.

Castration for prostate cancer was performed to remove the testicles as testosterone-producing glands. However, it turned out that its effectiveness was low, since the complete disappearance of testosterone from the body could not be achieved. It is also important to consider the fact that 30% of men with prostate cancer have testosterone-resistant tumors. In addition, the man received psychological trauma and a male menopause clinic in addition to his illness.

Is the penis removed for prostate cancer? The penis does not contain glands that produce testosterone, so it will not need to be removed.

In old age, removal of the testicles for prostate cancer may not have much effect due to involutive changes and the decline of the hormonal function of the testicles.

Currently, this method of treatment has rather historical significance.

Breakthrough in prostate cancer therapy: revolutionary cancer treatment in Israel, Russia, Germany

A patient can receive care for prostate cancer either through public medicine or for a fee in any clinic both at home and abroad.

Treatment of prostate cancer in Israel is also carried out for foreign citizens, using both surgical and medicinal methods, as well as using innovations.

Just like the treatment of prostate cancer in Germany, surgical treatment in leading centers in Israel and Korea can be performed using robot-assisted prostatectomy. This technique emerged as a result of improvements in laparoscopic surgery. Its essence is that the surgeon is assisted by the DaVinci robot, equipped with all the necessary tools.

Treatment for prostate cancer in Israel, Germany and other countries is currently available to citizens of the former CIS at very reasonable prices. However, the price of treatment does not include accommodation for relatives and travel to and from the clinic.

Treatment of prostate cancer in Russia is carried out according to the standards of medical care, which include prostatectomy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy and rehabilitation after interventions. Large medical clinics in Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan also perform robot-assisted surgeries.

• In which Russian city is prostate cancer treated? Qualified assistance in the treatment of prostate cancer can be obtained at any specialized center or urological clinic in Russia.
• Where can prostate cancer be treated in Moscow? In Moscow, prostate cancer is treated in urological, surgical and oncology departments of hospitals, as well as specialized centers.

Research into new methods of treating oncological diseases is currently being carried out in leading scientific centers.

Some time ago, scientists announced a breakthrough in the treatment of prostate cancer. This news was about the targeted effect of high-frequency ultrasound on a tumor. A focused high-intensity beam of ultrasound is directed at the tumor tissue, which destroys cancer cells, while healthy cells remain unaffected.

There is also information about the detection of a specific protein in cancer cells and the synthesis of a drug that affects only it. This method was called a revolutionary treatment for prostate cancer, however, there are no reviews from specialists or reliable data on the results of clinical trials to date.

Unconventional treatment of prostate cancer: a list of new methods

It is possible to answer whether prostate cancer can be treated only taking into account the stage of the disease. The prospects are more favorable in the early stages, the absence of metastases and the good condition of the body as a whole.

In addition to the methods that have proven effectiveness and are part of the standard of care, there are also numerous treatments for prostate cancer that are experimental, complementary methods, or may be a gesture of desperation.

Ozone therapy as a method of treating prostate cancer

In cancer treatment, ozone therapy is used as a method accompanying the main treatment. Its goal is to reduce the severity of side effects from chemotherapy and hormone therapy and improve the general condition of the body.

Ozone therapy is used in the form of insufflations - the introduction of a gas mixture into the intestines, in the form of autohemotherapy, microinjections, gassing cavities and sinuses.

Ozone therapy for prostate cancer may be contraindicated in cases of ozone intolerance, strokes, blood coagulation disorders, thrombocytopenia and bleeding.

A desperate and radical method, for example, may be orchiectomy for prostate cancer.

The following methods can serve as innovative developments:

• Radiotherapy for prostate cancer is now represented not only by percutaneous irradiation, but also by brachytherapy, as well as three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy - irradiation of an irregularly shaped object with a calculated radiation dose and sparing of surrounding tissues.
• Photodynamic therapy for prostate cancer involves the introduction of a sensitizing substance that accumulates in cancer cells and increases their sensitivity to a laser, followed by targeted irradiation with this laser.
• Laser therapy for prostate cancer shows good results in the early stages. At these same stages, a green laser can be used to vaporize or evaporate the tumor.
• Cryotherapy for prostate cancer involves local freezing of the tumor and is a minimally invasive surgical procedure. The results of cryotherapy for prostate cancer depend on the stage. This method is most effective at an early stage and without metastases, as well as with a benign variant - adenoma.
• There is also an alternative treatment for prostate cancer, which is offered in abundance by Tibetan medicine clinics, traditional healers and on forums and Internet sites. These are also traditional methods such as herbal treatment, fasting, psychology and so on.

Despite the fact that prostate cancer is life-threatening, the patient should not develop panic and desire to try all new methods of treating prostate cancer. Cure is possible in the early stages; in later stages, it is possible to maintain a satisfactory quality of life for the patient.