Management or treatment of prostate cancer

There are different options for managing and treating prostate cancer, and more than one treatment may be suitable for you. Your specialist will let you know your options based on the stage and grade of the prostate cancer as well as your general health, age and preferences.

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Management or treatment options by stage

localised/ early	active surveillancesurgery and/or radiation therapywatchful waiting
locally advanced	surgery and/or radiation therapyandrogen deprivation therapy (ADT) may also be suggested
advanced/ metastatic (at diagnosis)	usually androgen deprivation therapy (ADT)sometimes chemotherapy or radiation therapywatchful waiting may be an optionnewer treatments as part of a clinical trial

This information was last reviewed in April 2020. View who reviewed this content.

Dr Amy Hayden, Radiation Oncologist, Westmead and Blacktown Hospitals, and Chair, Faculty of Radiation Genito-Urinary Group (FROGG), The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists, NSW; Prof Shomik Sengupta, Professor of Surgery and Deputy Head, Eastern Health Clinical School, Monash University, and Visiting Urologist and Uro-Oncology Lead, Urology Department, Eastern Health, VIC; A/Prof Arun Azad, Medical Oncologist, Urological and Prostate Cancers, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, VIC; Ken Bezant, Consumer; Dr Marcus Dreosti, Radiation Oncologist, GenesisCare, and Clinical Strategy Lead, Oncology Australia, SA; A/Prof Nat Lenzo, Nuclear Physician, Specialist in Internal Medicine, Group Clinical Director, GenesisCare Theranostics and The University of Western Australia, WA; Jessica Medd, Senior Clinical Psychologist, Department of Urology, Concord Repatriation General Hospital, and HeadwayHealth Clinical and Consulting Psychology Services, NSW; Caitriona Nienaber, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council Western Australia; Graham Rees, Consumer; Kerry Santoro, Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurse, Southern Adelaide Local Health Network, SA; A/Prof David Smith, Senior Research Fellow, Cancer Research Division, Cancer Council NSW; Matthew Starr, Consumer. We also thank the health professionals, consumers and editorial teams who have worked on previous editions of this title. This booklet is funded through the generosity of the people of Australia.

View the Cancer Council NSW editorial policy.