Breaking Down Prostate Cancer Stages: What It Means for Your Treatment

Prostate cancer is generally categorised in four stages. These stages correspond to how much the disease has spread and its effects on the body. The higher the stage of cancer, the lower the survival rate and more requirement of urgent serious medical treatments like prostate cancer surgery. Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer for men and it generally affects people over the age of 40. 

Even though the survival rate of prostate cancer is generally high, the best way to treat prostate cancer is to get the diagnosis as soon as possible. When the cancer progresses to advanced stages, it creates a lot more health risks and has higher chances of recurrence. So, let’s review the different prostate cancer stages from the specialists of prostate cancer treatment in Delhi, MASSH.

The Four Stages of Prostate Cancer

• Stage 1

Stage 1 of prostate cancer is the best stage to get diagnosed as you have the most flexibility in terms of treatment options at this stage. At this stage it is expected that the cancer has not spread to any neighbouring organs or lymph nodes. The tumour-causing cancer can only be diagnosed during a routine digital rectal exam in the prostate. At stage 1, the cancer is limited to the prostate and upon confirmation using several diagnostic tests including biopsies, treatment processes can start. At stage 1, symptoms of prostate cancer can appear with common symptoms like difficulty urinating and losing weight suddenly.

• Stage 2

At stage 2, the cancer starts growing and the symptoms you experience due to the condition will be more pronounced. Commonly patients can experience symptoms like having blood in their urine when they have stage 2 prostate cancer. Even though the symptoms can be scary, medical treatment and diagnosis can help you treat stage 2 prostate cancer. The five year survival rate of stage 2 prostate cancer is not a perfect 100%, but it is close to 100%. Medically apart from a growth in the size of the tumour, there’s not much else to differentiate the first and second stage of prostate cancer. The cancer stays limited to the prostate and shows no signs of spread to nearby organs or lymph nodes.

• Stage 3

The third stage of cancer can be classified as an advanced stage of prostate cancer. Signs of the cancer spreading beyond the prostate to nearby tissues is clear at this stage. Medical treatment would be required on an emergency basis even leading to prostate cancer surgery. It is important to note that unexplained weight loss would reach a height when the cancer has reached an advanced stage and symptoms like blood in semen would also be common along with other symptoms like difficulty urinating. Even though stage 3 prostate cancer often doesn’t correspond to the cancer spreading to lymph nodes, in certain cases, it can be the case.

• Stage 4

Stage four prostate cancer is the most advanced stage of the condition and has a five year survival rate of 30%, which is much lower than the other stages. At this stage it is expected that the cancer has spread to distant organs and lymph nodes in your body, which means you would need prostate cancer surgery in this case. From nearby organs like the rectum, bladder, and pelvic wall to distant organs like the lungs, liver, and even your bones, stage 4 cancer can spread to anywhere in your body, leading to serious health complications that can be fatal. The key of medical cancer treatment is to ensure that the prostate cancer doesn’t progress to the fourth stage. So, how does it affect the treatment of prostate cancer? Let’s find out.

What Do The Stages of Prostate Cancer Mean For Its Treatment?

Cancer is a complicated condition and in most cases it leads to the treatment process being expansive and requiring multiple procedures to save the patient. Regardless of the cancer stage, since the condition can’t be cured, the most common treatment option is surgery. The cancerous tumour is surgically removed from the body and it is followed by other therapy treatments if required. The stage of the cancer defines if further treatment is required beyond the surgical removal of the tumour. Let’s review how exactly each stage affects the treatment of prostate cancer.

• Stage 1

In the first stage, doctors can often recommend watchful waiting to patients who don’t want to opt for surgery just yet. Different therapeutic treatment options are also recommended at this stage to treat the cancer non-surgically if that’s possible.

• Stage 2

The second stage of prostate cancer requires doctors to offer treatment options that alleviate the inconvenience caused by the symptoms of the cancer. Additionally, radiation therapy and other therapeutic treatment options are also recommended to patients who want to try non-invasive procedures before opting for surgery. The second stage of prostate cancer is ideally where doctors would highly recommend patients to get surgical treatments like a radical prostatectomy. It would help reduce the risk of cancer spread and also ensure that the condition is treated effectively.

• Stage 3

At this stage, the cancer is considered advanced so doctors often need to offer multiple treatment options to get the cancer under control. Given the tumour size has also increased significantly since stage 1, doctors recommend patients to go for radiation and chemotherapy treatments before surgery to ensure that the tumour shrinks to a more surgery manageable size. A larger tumour requires a surgery with higher risks, given prostate cancer is common among ageing men, a more complex and high risk surgery is often not recommended by doctors. And as such, multiple treatment options are used in conjunction to create a treatment plan that works for the patient.

• Stage 4

Stage 4 prostate cancer treatment requires juggling two things, managing the symptoms and treating the underlying condition that’s causing them. Surgery is inevitable at stage 4, however, doctors would go through multiple rounds of chemo and radiation therapy before the surgery to make sure the tumour size is smaller comparatively. At the same time, the therapy treatment can also stop the cancer from forming and affecting the other parts of the body as distant metastasis is the foundation of stage 4 prostate cancer. At this stage, treatments are limited because the general health of the patient can deteriorate to a point, the patients won’t be eligible for certain treatment options any longer.

Conclusion

Cancer is a difficult battle, but it's one that you can conquer. With timely diagnosis, regular medical checkups, and the right medical team, you can beat cancer. Check out MASSH for more information about prostate cancer and its treatment options at MASSH. As one of the top healthcare providers for prostate cancer treatment in Delhi our specialised IV therapy and minimally invasive procedures can help you manage prostate cancer. We are also led by expert doctors and a team of specialists that can help you correctly diagnose the cancer and treat it accordingly. Check out our website or visit us today to avail our world class medical services.