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Here, the entire prostate gland and sometimes the lymph nodes and nearby tissue are removed, with hopes of leaving the patient cancer-free.

Radical prostatectomy is an option when prostate cancer is has not spread beyond the prostate gland.

Some doctors believe this is always the better approach, particularly for men under age 50.

"In my opinion, surgery is the more definitive way to cure this disease, and if you are very young, it is always the better choice, simply because we don't have any really solid long-term data on radiation therapy in younger men," says Lepor, a prostate surgeon.

Lepor tells WebMD older men can also be good candidates if they are in otherwise good health.

And while Lepor says radiation oncologists argue that surgery has a higher risk of complications, he believes that in the hands of skilled and experienced surgeons, the cure rates are equal, or "even better for surgery," he says.

Ghavamian, also a surgeon, agrees and adds, "Once you remove the prostate you can examine it, so both doctor and patient will have a precise Gleason score as well as full knowledge of the extent of the cancer, and that can help better predict recurrence and judge the need for additional therapy.

And you won't get that with radiation," he says.

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