No Single Treatment Best for Enlarged Prostate

Tuesday, June 07, 2005

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - What should men do, if anything, to treat an enlarged prostate gland?

Called benign prostatic hyperplasia or hypertrophy (BPH), the condition affects most men as they age. About half of men with an enlarged prostate seek medical treatment because of bothersome urinary tract symptoms. These symptoms may include poor urine flow, straining to urinate, frequent urination and urinary urgency.

With a diagnosis of BPH comes a variety of treatment possibilities, ranging from conservative to aggressive options. The standard therapy for BPH has been to surgically remove part of the prostate gland, a procedure called transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). While TURP remains the treatment against which all other options are compared, it has its drawbacks. Potential side effects in more than 5 percent of men can include erection problems, painful urination, recurring urinary tract infections and blood in the urine.

According to Mayo Clinic Arizona urologist Donald Novicki, M.D., several advances in technology over the past decade now provide a broad range of treatment options for BPH. Beyond TURP, treatment options can range from simple "watchful waiting" to medications such as alpha blockers to less invasive laser procedures to radiofrequency therapy, microwave therapy and even alternative therapies.

Dr. Novicki counsels that patients should become educated about their options, noting, "Patients who are knowledgeable can better partner with their physician to make the best choice." Dr. Novicki is medical editor of a new health decision guide on a Mayo Web site that helps men become more informed and able to sort through treatment choices. He emphasizes that no single treatment is best for anyone, and that men should not avoid seeking help because of possible side effects - most notably, concern about how a treatment will affect sexual function. "In fact, most treatments do not affect sexual function," he says.

"Delaying treatment can have consequences," warns Dr. Novicki, adding. "Later, it may become more complicated - or even impossible - to improve symptoms."

The guide, found on MayoClinic.com (link opens in new window) under the "prostate gland enlargement" category, is targeted to men who've been diagnosed with BPH and are considering their options.

Mayo Clinic is a private group practice of medicine dedicated to providing diagnosis and treatment of patient illnesses through a systematic focus on individual patient needs. As a leading academic medical center in the Southwest, Mayo Clinic focuses on providing specialty and surgical care in more than 65 disciplines at its outpatient facility in north Scottsdale and at Mayo Clinic Hospital. The 208-licensed bed hospital is located at 56th Street and Mayo Boulevard (north of Bell Road) in northeast Phoenix, and provides inpatient care to support the medical and surgical specialties of the clinic, which is located at 134th Street and Shea Boulevard in Scottsdale.

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