Prostate Cancer Stages

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Oct 3, 2014/ 0 Comments / in prostate cancer / by
Prostate Cancer Stages

Prostate Cancer Process and Stages

Going through prostate cancer is never easy. While many people do beat it, your survivability depends on which stage you are in. Understanding the stages could save your life, especially when dealing with symptoms.

To understand stages, it is important to understand the Gleason Score. This is a grading system for the prognosis of men who have prostate cancer. A Gleason score is given to prostate cancer based on the appearance of biopsies under a microscope. Cancers that have a higher Gleason score are considered to be very aggressive and result in a worse prognosis.

Prostate Cancer Stages

Stage 1

During this stage, a needle biopsy is needed to determine if there is cancer. The cancer can only be found in the prostate at this time but cannot be felt during a digital rectal exam, nor through imaging tests.

Stage 2

In this stage, the cancer is more developed but it has not progressed past the prostate. This stage is divided into Stage 2A and 2B. A needle biopsy is done to determine if there is a cancer present for Stage 2A. In Stage 2B, the cancer is found in opposite sides of the prostate. At this point, the cancer cannot be felt during a digital rectal exam, nor through imaging.

Stage 3

At this point, the cancer has spread beyond the outer layer of the prostate and may have even reached the seminal vesicles. The cancer will typically be a Gleason score of between 2 and 10, compared with the score in Stage 1 of less than 6.

Stage 4

Sexuality After Prostate RemovalThis stage is the most severe and the Gleason score can be anywhere between 2 and 10. The cancer will have spread to nearby tissues and organs, including the rectum and bladder. It may have also spread to other areas, including the lymph nodes and even reached the bones. It is actually common for prostate cancer to reach the bones, at which point it becomes a very serious issue.