According to a new study, robot-assisted radical prostatectomies now outnumber other forms of prostate cancer surgery in the United States. Nearly 61 percent of prostatectomies were performed by robotic devices between 2008 and 2009.

What's more, robotic prostate surgery appears to have fewer complications and shorter hospital stays than traditional open prostatectomies, according to the lead researcher, Dr. Quoc-Dien Trinh, of Vattikuti Urology Institute, Henry Ford Health System, in Detroit. He reported his finding at the European Association of Urology 27th Annual Congress, in Paris.

The procedure has grown exponentially in recent years - from 9 percent of prostatectomies  in 2003 to 61 percent, according to Medscape Medical News. In robot-assisted surgery, a surgeon operates mechanical arms to make smaller, more precise incisions. The first robot-assisted prostate surgery was performed only in 2000.

Learn more about robot-assisted surgery at About.com.

There are a number of treatment choices for men who are newly diagnosed with prostate cancer.  Radiation therapy has long been one of the mainstays of prostate cancer treatment and there have been many advances within the field of radiation oncology over the last several years.

One notable advance has been the development of high-dose rate brachytherapy for treatment of localized prostate cancer.

You can read all about high-dose rate brachytherapy - its advantages and disadvantages here.

A new study recently published in the medical journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention has shown that many types of cancer are more common in men who are infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

The study also found that prostate cancer was actually less commonly diagnosed in men with HIV.

The authors attributed the increased rates of some types of cancers (such as lung cancer) to lifestyle choices and the weakened immune system of many HIV patients.  It is unclear as to why prostate cancer is less common in men with HIV.

"Watchful waiting" is today accepted as a legitimate alternative for men who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer who may not need to be immediately treated for their disease.   It is sometimes known as "active surveillance" and involves carefully monitoring for the development of worsening or spreading prostate cancer - rather than actively treating the cancer.

This is obviously a controversial option in some doctors' and patients' eyes, but it does have a role in the correct circumstances.

You can read all about "watchful waiting" here.