What is the most effective way to cure localized prostate cancer?

Radical prostatectomy is the most effective method to cure localized prostate cancer, but early-stage prostate cancer often has no obvious symptoms, and most patients have lost the opportunity for surgical cure by the time they are diagnosed. In addition, elderly patients often have contraindications to surgery. Postoperative complications such as bleeding, rectal injury, postoperative erectile dysfunction, urinary incontinence, urethral stenosis, etc. may occur, resulting in a small number of people undergoing surgery.

Radiotherapy can achieve local control effects to a certain extent for early-stage patients, and can improve clinical symptoms of patients with distant metastases and relatively improve the quality of life. However, radiotherapy for prostate cancer can increase the risk of rectal cancer and bladder cancer in patients. Compared with radical surgery, the risk of rectal cancer is 1.7 times higher; compared with healthy people, the risk of bladder cancer is 2.34 times higher.

Early endocrine therapy can inhibit the growth of prostate cancer cells, and at this time prostate cancer cells are relatively sensitive to hormones. However, after a period of endocrine therapy (median time is about 14-30 months), the tumor eventually adapts to the low androgen environment and is no longer sensitive to anti-androgen therapy, developing into AIPC and hormone-refractory prostate cancer (HRPC), with a median survival of less than 20 months.

Due to the extremely complex biological characteristics of AIPC and HRPC, the mechanism of their transformation is also unclear. There is still no effective and standard treatment plan in clinical practice. The patient's condition progresses rapidly and eventually dies from tumor metastasis. Based on the clinical experience and practice of traditional Chinese medicine, Chinese herbal medicine is a promising drug for the treatment of prostate cancer.

On the one hand, Chinese herbal medicines have the function of improving the body's immunity. For example, astragalus, codonopsis, and poria can promote the phagocytosis of macrophages to a certain extent and regulate humoral immunity and cellular immunity. On the other hand, they have anti-tumor effects, such as curcumin and matrine, and can reduce the toxic side effects of other treatments.

Therefore, combining endocrine therapy with traditional Chinese medicine is a promising treatment method. Some scholars have used Brucea javanica combined with endocrine therapy to treat advanced prostate cancer, and the efficacy is better than that of endocrine therapy alone. There are reports that Liuwei Dihuang Decoction plus other ingredients was used to treat prostate tumors, which prolonged the survival of patients. There are observations on Zhibai Dihuang Decoction plus other ingredients to treat prostate cancer, and it is believed that Zhibai Dihuang Decoction plus other ingredients is effective for the treatment of early prostate cancer, can delay the progression of the disease, and improve the quality of life of patients.

Some scholars use the basic prescription of Fuzheng Yiliu, Qianlie Xiaoy Decoction, Jiawei Zishui Qinggan Yin and other single prescriptions or combined with Western medicine to treat prostate cancer, which can play a role in alleviating symptoms, improving physical strength, reducing serum PSA, delaying the time of non-dependence after anti-androgen treatment, and improving the efficacy and quality of life of patients. Therefore, making full use of the advantages of traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine to control prostate cancer is a more appropriate way at present.