Prostate Cancer Staging - How You Determine Your Options

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Prostate cancer is a malignant tumor that grows in the prostate gland. A healthy prostate is responsible for producing fluid that transports sperm during ejaculation. The prostate gland begins in front of the rectum, below the bladder and wraps around the urethra.

The actual cause or causes of prostate cancer remain unknown but nearly a quarter of a million new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed this year. Prostate cancer is more common among men over the age of sixty, but tests to determine the presence of prostate cancer are recommended earlier for those at a higher risk. People who may be at a higher risk include African American men, who are more than twice as likely to die as a result of prostate cancer than Caucasian men, and those who have a family history of prostate cancer.

Though the early stages of prostate cancer may not yield any physical symptoms, early detection is very important, because the longer the cancer is present in the body without treatment, the larger the tumor will grow and the greater the chance the cancer will have to spread to surrounding areas of the anatomy. Some symptoms of prostate cancer include: interruption in the flow of urine, difficulty starting or stopping the flow of urine, frequent night time urination, bloody urine and pain or burning during urination.

Once a person has been diagnosed through a biopsy, the physician will determine the stage of the prostate cancer. The stage refers to how large the tumor has become, if the cancer has spread and how far the cancer has spread.

The information for determining the stage of the cancer can be gathered in one of two ways; clinically or pathologically. Gathering the information clinically is done without surgery through a DRE test, or digital rectal exam; by testing the PSA level; a transrectal ultrasound, and finally the prostate biopsy. Conversely gathering the info pathologically involves surgically removing the entire prostate and surrounding structures for examination, and though much more invasive the pathological method may prove more accurate in determining the exact level to which the cancer has progressed and therefore allow for a more appropriate treatment.

The most common staging system used today is the TNM system. The system is broken down into three areas: the T stage, which refers to the size and placement of the tumor; the N stage, which is where it is determined if the cancer has spread to the surrounding lymph nodes; and the M stage, which covers the metastasis of the cancer, or how far the cancer has spread. A physician will assign a number to the corresponding letter to show the level of the cancer in it’s respective area, for example a T1 tumor (least severe) can not be felt during a DRE, but signs of cancer cells are present in a biopsy; a T4 tumor (most severe) means the tumor has spread to the neck of the bladder, the rectum or the wall of the pelvis.

Once the overall stage of the cancer is determined the proper method or methods of treatment for the patient can be determined. Possible treatments for prostate cancer can include hormone therapy, radiation, chemotherapy or surgery. Anyone experiencing any of the symptoms of prostate cancer should immediately schedule an appointment with their physician because an early diagnosis can make all the difference.