Surgery vs. Radiotherapy
The following table compares outcomes following prostate cancer treatment specifically, surgery (radical prostatectomy), which is considered the gold standard treatment for localized prostate cancer and radiation (brachytherapy and external beam radiation). Data is provided on survival, cancer recurrence, incidence of rectal and bladder cancer, bowel function, urinary issues and long-term erectile function.
In this table, radical prostatectomy includes all approaches to prostate surgery (open surgery through large incisions; conventional minimally invasive, or laparoscopic radical prostatectomy also called LRP as well as da Vinci Prostatectomy, or dVP). As you can see, surgery offers measurable advantages over radiation in terms of outcomes and survivability.
da Vinci vs. Open Surgery & Laparoscopy
If your doctor recommends surgery The following table looks at patient outcomes following surgery for prostate cancer (radical prostatectomy), and compares "best in class" data from three types of surgery. As you can see, da Vinci Prostatectomy (dVP) shows measurable advantages as compared to both conventional open surgery (open), performed through large incisions, as well as conventional minimally invasive laparoscopic (lap) surgery.
