Stages of prostate cancer
Prostate cancer, the most common cancer in men, is nevertheless rare before the age of 50. It is most often diagnosed around the age of 70 on average.
In order to improve cure rates by adapting treatment to disease progression, the medical community has established different stages of prostate cancer.
Progression of Prostate Cancer
Cancer is a disease that often develops over several years. Unlike other types of cancer, prostate cancer generally has a relatively slow growth rate. Its progression may occur over 10 years or more. Staging makes it possible to assess the extent of the disease.
A tumor initially confined to the prostate may evolve over time. As cancer cells multiply, they may detach from the prostate and spread to other parts of the body. During disease progression, nearby lymph nodes, bones, the liver, and even the lungs may be affected.
In order to tailor cancer treatment to each patient, staging the disease is essential. This classification helps increase prostate cancer cure rates.
What Are the Stages of Prostate Cancer?
The different stages classify the disease according to the number of cancer cells present in the patient’s body and their location at the time of initial diagnosis.
The staging system distinguishes four stages. Stage 4 prostate cancer corresponds to the most advanced spread of the disease, while stage 1 represents the earliest and least advanced form.
Prostate Cancer Stages 1 and 2: Localized Cancers
Stage 1 prostate cancer concerns patients whose disease is not detected during a digital rectal examination. In this case, cancer cells are few in number, and patients experience no symptoms of the disease.
Stage 2 corresponds to cases in which the digital rectal examination reveals cancer through the presence of a hard mass. At this stage, the disease remains localized to the prostate and may involve only one of the two lobes of the gland.
Prostate Cancer Stages 3 and 4: Advanced Cancers
Stage 3 refers to patients whose disease shows more significant progression. At this stage of prostate cancer, cancer cells have spread beyond the prostate gland and may have reached the seminal vesicles.
When the disease has progressed further and affects other parts of the body, it is classified as stage 4 prostate cancer. The cancer is no longer localized but advanced, involving organs near the prostate such as the rectum or bladder, and possibly more distant sites such as the liver, bones, and sometimes even the lungs.
Today, the medical community offers several treatment options adapted to each stage of prostate cancer.
The HIFU method, which is less aggressive, makes it possible to treat localized prostate cancer using a non-invasive approach.