To Treat Or Not To Treat
Up until now, with a few notable exceptions, doctors have myopically focused on treating prostate cancer, says Adami. They are willing to spend tens of thousands of dollars on chemotherapy that has minimal effects on cancer mortality, often with substantial side effects. But we ignore entirely the fact that large groups of prostate cancer patients die from other causes that actually are preventable.
Among older patients especially, that activity can take the form of vigorous walking. Recently, Mucci has spearheaded an intervention with Adami and other colleagues in Sweden, Iceland, and Ireland in which men walk in groups with a nurse three times a week. In a pilot study, researchers found improvements in just 12 weeks in body weight, blood pressure, sleep, urinary function, and mental health.
Scientists at HSPH are also searching for genetic and lifestyle markers that help predict how aggressive a patients prostate cancer will be. For example, an ongoing project led by Mucci and Adami draws on detailed cancer registries in Nordic countries, including an analysis of 300,000 twins, to tease out the relative contribution of different genes to prostate cancer incidence and survival.
is a Boston-based journalist and author of The Coke Machine: The Dirty Truth Behind the Worlds Favorite Soft Drink.
Cancer Staging May Miss Errant Cells
Once a pathologist confirms that cancer is present, the doctor will next determine how far the cancer extends a process known as cancer staging and discuss the implications with you. This is perhaps the most important information of all for you to obtain, as it determines whether the cancer is likely to be curable, or whether it has already spread to additional tissues, making prognosis much worse.
If you were my patient, I would ask you to consider two important points. First, cancer staging actually occurs in two phases: clinical and pathological . Of the two, pathological staging is more accurate.
A second point to understand, however, is that even pathological staging can be inaccurate . A cancer spreads, or metastasizes, once a primary tumor sheds cancer cells that travel elsewhere in the body and establish other tumor sites. Metastasis is a complex process that researchers do not fully understand. What is clear is that this process involves multiple genetic mutations and steps, and that each type of cancer spreads in a unique way.
Stage 2 Prostate Cancer Survival Rate
Stage 2 prostate cancer occurs when the tumor starts spreading within the limits of the prostate gland. Stage 2 can follow three different scenarios.
- Stage IIA: PSA reading nears 20ng/mL, the Gleason score remains at 6. The location of the tumor is in one-half of the prostate gland
- Stage IIB: PSA reading nears 20ng/mL, the Gleason score reaches 7. The location of the tumor is in one-half of the prostate gland or on both of its sides
- Stage IIC: PSA reading nears 20ng/mL, the Gleason score is at either 7 or 8. The location of the tumor is in one-half of the prostate gland or on both of its sides.
Stage 2 prostate cancer survival rate for the first 5 years records a slight decrease from 99% to 97.5%. This means that around 97 out of 100 men diagnosed with prostate cancer are going to survive their disease for at least 5 years.
The treatment plan for stage 2 prostate cancer takes into consideration the removal of the prostate gland as well as the nearby lymph nodes. Hormone therapy is discussed with the patient but only when administered along with radiation therapy. Brachytherapy is also anticipated. Active surveillance remains a viable treatment plan for stage IIA and IIB prostate cancer cases.
Also Check: How To Determine If You Have Prostate Cancer
Moffitt Cancer Centers Approach To Prostate Cancer Treatment
No matter the stage of your cancer, Moffitt Cancer Center can help you improve your prognosis and quality of life. Not only do we have a dedicated Genitourinary Oncology Program staffed by surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists and other support professionals who specialize in treating prostate cancer, but we also create individualized treatment plans for each of our patients. Our multispecialty team comes together in regular tumor board meetings to evaluate a number of different factors that can all affect a patients outcomeincluding the size, grade and location of tumors, along with any other treatments previously attemptedto develop the best possible plan for the patients unique situation.
At Moffitt, we welcome patients who have already received treatment elsewhere, as well as patients who are exploring their options for the very first time. Call , or submit a new patient registration form online a member of our team will tell you more about Moffitts prostate cancer survival rate and discuss your treatment options. We provide every new patient with rapid access to a cancer expert within a day, which is faster than any other cancer hospital in the nation.
Medically reviewed by Monica Chatwal, MD, medical oncologist, Genitourinary Oncology Program.
Stage 4 Prostate Cancer
In stage 3, cancer has now spread beyond the prostate and may have potentially spread into the nearby seminal vesicles.
- Stage IVA The tumor may have any size and has already spread to the regional lymph nodes but has not spread to other distant areas . There can be any PSA level and any Grade Group.
- Stage IVB The tumor may have any size and presents distant metastasis , without involving the lymph nodes . There can be any PSA level and any Grade Group.
Don’t Miss: Ebrt Therapy For Prostate Cancer
Survival Rates For Prostate Cancer
Survival rates can give you an idea of what percentage of people with the same type and stage of cancer are still alive a certain amount of time after they were diagnosed. These rates cant tell you how long you will live, but they may help give you a better understanding of how likely it is that your treatment will be successful.
Keep in mind that survival rates are estimates and are often based on previous outcomes of large numbers of people who had a specific cancer, but they cant predict what will happen in any particular persons case. These statistics can be confusing and may lead you to have more questions. Ask your doctor, who is familiar with your situation, how these numbers may apply to you.
Untreated Prostate Cancer No Death Sentence
By Frederik Joelving, Reuters Health
4 Min Read
NEW YORK â Even without treatment, only a small minority of men diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer die from the disease, Swedish researchers reported Friday.
Drawing from a national cancer register, they estimated that after 10 years prostate cancer would have killed less than three percent of these men.
What the data is showing is that for most patients with low-risk cancer, there is no need to panic, said Grace Lu-Yao, a cancer researcher who was not involved in the new study. Prostate cancer really is no longer a fatal disease.
With modern screening tests, said Lu-Yao, of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in New Brunswick, many prostate cancers are found that might never have developed into serious disease. In such cases, the slight reduction of risk by surgically removing the prostate or treating it with radiation may not outweigh the substantial side effects of these treatments.
In the Swedish study, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, researchers compared deaths among more than 6,800 men with prostate cancer who underwent treatment â surgery or radiation â or were simply monitored regularly by their doctors, the so-called watchful waiting approach. With watchful waiting, patients are only treated if their cancer progresses.
The Swedish findings jibe with earlier results, including a large US study.
Recommended Reading: Can Your Prostate Affect Bowel Movements
Read Also: Can Psa Test Detect Prostate Cancer
The Frequency Of Bcr Cp Crd And Rates Of Bpfs Cpfs Css
Median time of follow-up after RP was 64 months. Over this time, 207 men experienced BCR. One hundred twenty-seven men had BCR in the following year after RP, 27 in the second year, 16 in the third, 14 in the fourth, 7 in the fifth, and 16 patients had BCR after 5 years . Of 207 men, 181 received salvage radiotherapy or hormone therapy or both sRT + HT due to BCR.
Figure 1. Risk of biochemical recurrence by the following year after radical prostatectomy .
CP was diagnosed in 49 cases. Median time from BCR to CP was 17 months. Twelve men had metastases in lymph nodes, 11 had metastases in bones, 19 had metastases in lymph nodes and bones, 1 had visceral metastases, and 6 had local recurrence in the surgical bed. During the follow-up, 72 patients died. In 24 cases PCa was the cause of death.
According to the DAmico risk classification, the 5-year BPFS rate after RP of patients with one risk factor was 57.7%, and that with two factors was 34.4%. All patients with three risk factors had BCR in the first 5 years after RP .
In all study cohorts, 5- and 10-year BPFS rate was 49.2 and 34.2%, respectively. CPFS rate was 89.2 and 81% and CSS rate was 95.6 and 90.1%, respectively.
Read Also: Elevated Prostate Levels Blood Test
Survival Rates For Hodgkin Lymphoma
Survival rates can give you an idea of what percentage of people with the same type and stage of cancer are still alive a certain amount of time after they were diagnosed. They cant tell you how long you will live, but they may help give you a better understanding about how likely it is that your treatment will be successful.
Keep in mind that survival rates are estimates and are often based on previous outcomes of large numbers of people who had a specific cancer, but they cant predict what will happen in any particular persons case. These statistics can be confusing and may lead you to have more questions. Your doctor is familiar with yoursituation ask how these numbers may apply to you.
You May Like: Can Enlarged Prostate Cause Back And Leg Pain
Survival By Disease Progression
The extent prostate cancer has progressed can influence survival rates.
Prostate-specific antigen is a protein produced by cells of the prostate gland by normal and malignant cells. In men with prostate cancer, blood levels of PSA are often elevated.
Doctors can use PSA as a marker to better understand the progression of prostate cancer and the resulting prognosis.
One way doctors assess the progression of the disease is through PSA doubling time. This refers to the number of months it takes for PSA to double.
One study suggests a short doubling time means a poorer prognosis for patients with stage IV prostate cancer. Median survival was 16.5 months for those with a PSA doubling time lower than 45 days compared with 26 months for patients with a longer PSA doubling time.
Whether or not the cancer has metastasized and spread to other areas of the body outside the prostate can also influence survival. In distant or stage IV prostate cancer, when cancer has spread from the prostate to other organs like the liver or lungs, the five-year survival rate is 31% compared with localized cancer, which has a five-year survival rate of nearly 100%.
Stage 1 Prostate Cancer Survival Rate
The first forms of prostate cancer take shape at stage 1. This is when abnormal cells start growing within the prostate gland.
A stage 1 prostate cancer is traced when the PSA reading detects 10ng/mL. Moreover, the Gleason score is 6.
The stage 1 prostate cancer survival rate for the first 5 years is 99%. In other words, men with this type of prostate tumor are almost 100% as likely as men who are cancer-free to live for at least 5 years after they receive the diagnosis.
A diagnosis that caught prostate tumor at stage 1 leads to the least intrusive forms of treatments. In most cases, doctors prescribe active surveillance. This entails continuous monitoring of the prostate tumor in order to observe the way it evolves and decide the optimal way to treat it.
Other treatment plans at this stage encompass radical prostatectomy or radiation therapy. Both of these recommendations can be prescribed at the same time.
Recommended Reading: New Treatment For Prostate Cancer
Outlook For Men With Localised Prostate Cancer
Most localised prostate cancer is slow-growing and may not need treatment or shorten a mans life. For many men who have treatment for localised prostate cancer, the treatment will get rid of the cancer. For others, treatment may be less successful and the cancer may come back. If this happens, you might need further treatment.
The Stages Of Prostate Cancer: What You Need To Know
After a prostate cancer diagnosis, your oncologist will refer to the stage of your cancer. All cancers are categorized into four distinct stages, each of which identifies the progress of the growth of cancerous cells within clinically defined standards. These stages help doctors determine the most appropriate care for each patient based on his or her condition, and can also provide easy-to-understand context for your diagnosis. Learn more about the stages of prostate cancer, how each stage will affect your treatment plan and the survival rates for each stage, then contact Regional Cancer Care Associates to schedule a consultation.
Read Also: Cost Of Hormone Therapy For Prostate Cancer
Stage 1 Prostate Cancer
In stage 1, the cancer is confined to the prostate. Stage 1 prostate cancer cant be detected during a digital rectal exam and is usually expected to be slow-growing. The tumor is one half of one lobe of the prostate or even less . There is no regional lymph node metastasis and no distant metastasis. . The PSA level is below 10ng/ml. The Grade Group is 1.
Request An Appointment At Moffitt Cancer Center
Please call for support from a Moffitt representative. New Patients and Healthcare Professionals can submit an online form by selecting the appropriate button below. Existing patients can call . for a current list of insurances accepted at Moffitt.
NEW PATIENTS To request a new patient appointment, please fill out the online form or call 1-888-663-3488.
REFERRING PHYSICIANS Providers and medical staff can refer patients by submitting our online referral form.
Moffit now offers Virtual Visits for patients. If you are eligible for a virtual appointment, our scheduling team will discuss this option further with you.
Moffitt Cancer Center is committed to the health and safety of our patients and their families. For more information on how were protecting our new and existing patients, visit our COVID-19 Info Hub
Recommended Reading: What Medication Is Used To Shrink The Prostate
What Happens Without Treatment
Physicians will sometimes talk about a particular diseases natural history or typical progression if it is left untreated indefinitely.
With regard to prostate cancer, most cases of the disease are discovered while the cancer is still confined to the prostate itself. This is called local disease or localized disease.
The disease is easiest to treat while it is confined to the prostate. At this stage, surgery and radiation are most likely to be curative and completely kill or remove whatever cancer cells are present.
If left untreated, however, prostate cancer can proceed on a number of different paths.
Advancing Prostate Cancer Care
At Memorial Sloan Kettering, we tailor multimodal approaches to the individual features of each patients cancer. Radical prostatectomy is a complex procedure that requires a high level of technical precision. We provide state-of-the-art surgical techniques, including minimally invasive robotic and nerve-sparing surgery. Over the past few decades, we have dramatically reduced surgical complications by incorporating imaging test results in surgical plans to ensure the avoidance of other structures and the minimization of the risk of incontinence and erectile dysfunction. Our multidisciplinary prostate cancer team includes radiation oncologists who provide the latest radiotherapy approaches, including image-guided and intensity-modulated radiation therapy, stereotactic radiosurgery, proton therapy, and brachytherapy.
The field of prostate cancer care is evolving rapidly. We continue to explore new ways to improve outcomes and safety and effectiveness through clinical trials, in which we are testing new drugs and drug combinations, surgery and radiation therapy techniques, diagnostic approaches, and strategies for improving quality of life for men undergoing treatment for prostate cancer.
Disclosure: Peter Scardino sits on a clinical advisory board for OPKO Health outside the submitted study he also holds a patent issued by OPKO.
Read Also: Super Beta Prostate Supplement Side Effects
Read Also: Is Prostate Cancer Caused By Hpv
Keeping Health Insurance And Copies Of Your Medical Records
Even after treatment, its very important to keep health insurance. Tests and doctor visits cost a lot, and although no one wants to think of their cancer coming back, this could happen.
At some point after your cancer treatment, you might find yourself seeing a new doctor who doesnt know your medical history. Its important to keep copies of your medical records to give your new doctor the details of your diagnosis and treatment.
Standard Treatment Options For Stage I Prostate Cancer
Standard treatment options for patients with include the following:
Watchful waiting or active surveillance/active monitoring
Asymptomatic patients of advanced age or with concomitant illness may warrant consideration of careful observation without immediate active treatment. Watch and wait, observation, expectant management, and active surveillance/active monitoring are terms indicating a strategy that does not employ immediate therapy with curative intent.
Evidence :
Radical prostatectomy
Radical prostatectomy, usually with pelvic lymphadenectomy is the most commonly applied therapy with curative intent. Radicalprostatectomy may be difficult after a transurethral resection of the prostate .
Because about 40% to 50% of men with clinically organ-confined disease are found to have pathologic extension beyond the prostate capsule or surgical margins, the role of postprostatectomy adjuvant radiation therapy has been studied.
Evidence :
You May Like: Pelvic Floor Therapy For Prostatitis