Prostate cancer is a malignant (cancerous) tumor of the prostate, a gland found only in men. The prostate’s function is to create some of the fluid that insulates sperm cells found in semen. In the United States, prostate cancer is among the most common cancers found in men.
No two cases of prostate cancer are alike and an accurate diagnosis is critical to developing the best treatment plan. Urologists at the Johns Hopkins Brady Urological Institute can make the difficult process of deciding on a treatment plan easier. With world-renowned expertise, multidisciplinary specialists and the latest data, we partner with you to make informed decisions about managing your prostate cancer.
Prostate Cancer | Q&A
Mohamad Allaf, M.D., answers questions about prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment options and discusses robotic prostatectomy at Johns Hopkins.
Recovery from Prostate Cancer | Bill’s Story
This championship swimmer sought a second opinion at Johns Hopkins. Four weeks after a radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer, he was back in the pool.
Our Prostate Cancer Team
Our team approach brings together highly experienced prostate cancer experts from across disciplines to collaborate on each patient’s total care, from diagnosis through treatment and recovery.
Prostate Cancer Surgeons
Prostate Cancer Pathologists
Prostate Cancer Radiologist
Prostate Cancer Epidemiologist
Mufaddal Mamawala, M.B.B.S, M.P.H.
Prostate Cancer Basic Researchers
Veltri, Robert W., Ph.D.
Program Investigator
Prostate Cancer Clinical Coordinators
- Landis, Patricia K., B.A.
- Wolf, Sacha, B.S.
Treatment for Prostate Cancer
Because every patient is different, there are several ways to approach prostate cancer treatment. What’s right for you will depend on the stage of the cancer, your level of risk and your general overall health.
Some of the more common treatments that you and your doctor may discuss include:
- Surgery. Partial or complete removal of the prostate (prostatectomy) is commonly used as either the only treatment or in combination with chemotherapy, hormone therapy, radiation therapy or other treatments. Johns Hopkins surgeons are experts in minimally invasive surgical approaches, including robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy.
- Active surveillance. Patients with localized, slow-growing, low-risk tumors may opt to delay treatment, instead having periodic testing to monitor for disease progression.
- Radiation therapy. Radiation can be used alone or in conjunction with other treatments. It is used to slow tumor growth or destroy tumors in both localized and advanced (metastatic) cancer that has spread to other areas of the body.
- Chemotherapy. Chemotherapy drugs can be used to improve outcomes following surgery or to help relieve symptoms in advanced disease.
- Hormone therapy. This approach deprives cancer cells of the hormones they need to thrive. Though commonly used in metastatic prostate cancer, it is increasingly used in early-stage disease to help shrink the tumor before other treatments