Prostate cancer is described as a change in the tissue. The prognosis depends on how far the cancer has spread at the time of diagnosis. It can be characterized by ‘more’ or ‘less’ aggressive growth. Doctors use a method of classification called ‘staging’ to summarize the local extent and evidence of the spread of cancer.
The majority of prostate cancers are diagnosed at an early stage, where the cancer is limited to the prostate, meaning it is growing locally within the prostate. Therefore, it’s referred to as localized cancer. In later stages, it can extend outside the prostate, which is referred to as locally advanced cancer, or even metastasize to other organs. It can spread beyond the prostate by:
- Growing into neighboring tissues
- Spreading through the lymphatic system (lymph nodes and lymph vessels)
- Travelling to distant tissues through the blood
To recommend an appropriate treatment, doctors assign a stage to each patient’s prostate cancer. Staging is based on the extent of the cancer, whether lymph nodes are affected, and whether the cancer has already spread to other organs2.