Understanding Prostate Cancer
Stages of Prostate Cancer
To plan your treatment, your doctor needs to know the extent (stage) of the disease. The stage is based on the size of the tumor, whether the cancer has spread outside the prostate and, if so, where it has spread.
You may have blood tests to see if the cancer has spread. Some men also may need imaging tests:
- Bone scan: The doctor injects a small amount of a radioactive substance into a blood vessel. It travels through the bloodstream and collects in the bones. A machine called a scanner detects and measures the radiation. The scanner makes pictures of the bones on a computer screen or on film. The pictures may show cancer that has spread to the bones.
- CT scan: An x-ray machine linked to a computer takes a series of detailed pictures of areas inside your body. Doctors often use CT scans to see the pelvis or abdomen.
- MRI: A strong magnet linked to a computer is used to make detailed pictures of areas inside your body.
These are the stages of prostate cancer:
- Stage I: The cancer cannot be felt during a digital rectal exam. It is found by chance when surgery is done for another reason, usually for BPH. The cancer is only in the prostate.
- Stage II: The cancer is more advanced, but it has not spread outside the prostate.
- Stage III: The cancer has spread outside the prostate. It may be in the seminal vesicles. It has not spread to the lymph nodes.
- Stage IV: The cancer may be in nearby muscles and organs (beyond the seminal vesicles). It may have spread to the lymph nodes. It may have spread to other parts of the body.
- Recurrent cancer is cancer that has come back (recurred) after a time when it could not be detected. It may recur in or near the prostate. Or it may recur in any other part of the body, such as the bones.
