Prostate cancer can be effectively detected and treated. Understanding your situation helps you move forward with confidence.
Prostate cancer
What is cancer ?
All body organs are made up of cells that are specialized in different activities. A regeneration process takes place continuously through cell division. Cell division can result in faulty cells, of which some are malignant (cancerous). Sometimes, they proliferate faster than normal cells. When the organism’s defense mechanisms (the immune system) do not succeed in eliminating them, tumor tissue forms. While initially localized, the tumor risks implanting its cells into nearby organs. This is locoregional invasion. When tumor cells use blood and lymph routes to reach the target organs, this is metastasis.
Prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is the most commonly seen cancer in men, but it is not the most deadly. It is the 3rd cause of death from cancer, after lung cancer and colorectal cancer.
Closely linked to age, prostate cancer is rare before the age of 50, and the highest number of cases are in men around 70 years of age.
Its aggressiveness varies: some cancers evolve slowly and without symptoms, while others evolve rapidly towards locoregional invasion and metastases. As a general rule, no signs or symptoms are seen during the early stages of the disease.
Prostate cancer in numbers
*Institut National du Cancer (the French National Cancer Institute) – Panorama des Cancers en France (Overview of Cancers in France), 2024
For more information
Diagnosis and screening
Prostate cancer screening includes several examinations, such as a PSA blood test, digital rectal examination, and prostate biopsies.
Prostate cancer tests
The stage of prostate cancer is determined by the amount of cancer present in the body and its location at the time of diagnosis.
Treatments
The treatment strategy is tailored to each individual case. It depends primarily on the characteristics of the cancer affecting the patient: its location, grade and stage.