This year
in the United States, almost 180,000 men will be told that
they have prostate cancer. After a diagnosis of prostate
cancer, a man and his family face several choices regarding
treatment. Decisions involve many factors, personal as
well as medical. Before making these decisions, it is very
important to learn about all the options available. With
this knowledge, a newly diagnosed prostate cancer patient
can participate more confidently with his doctor in planning
his individual treatment.
Stages of Prostate Cancer
| Stage 1 |
Stage 2 |
|
-
Tumor not detectable by imaging
or clinical exam. May be found in one or more
lobes by needle biopsy.
-
Moderate to High grade tumor
-
Over 5% of tissue specimen
|
Stage
3 |
Stage
4 |
|
-
Tumor is fixed or invades adjacent structures
other than seminal vesicles, such as sphincter,
bladder neck, wall of pelvis, and rectum
-
Tumor spread to lymph nodes or metasteses
-
Any grade tumor
|
Statistical Overview
By age 50, about one-third of American men have microscopic
signs of prostate cancer. By age 75, half to three-quarters
of men will have some cancerous changes in their prostate
glands. Most of these cancers remain latent, producing
no signs of symptoms, or are so indolent, or slow-growing,
that they never become a serious threat to health.
A much smaller number of men will actually be treated
for prostate cancer. About 16 percent of American men will
be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lives; 8
percent will develop significant symptoms; and 3 percent
will die of the disease.
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