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Prostate Cancer Information Collection
The first step in prostate cancer treatmentInformation Collection
Once your physician has confirmed a prostate cancer diagnosis, it is important to gather as much information as possible to craft the right treatment approach for your specific cancer. Prostate cancer treatment can vary greatly depending on its severity.
Prostate cancer staging has four components that can give you and your healthcare team a complete picture of how advanced and aggressive the cancer is and what treatment options are best.
Your PSA Score
While an elevated PSA score itself cannot determine the aggressiveness or advancement of prostate cancer, it is a helpful indicator in combination with the other staging metrics.
Grade
A Gleason Score is a number that doctors use to describe the cancer cells of the prostate. More recently a numeric scale from 1-5 is used to give a more in-depth picture of the tumor.
| Group 1 | 6 or less | Defined, well-formed glands. |
| Group 2 | 7* | Mostly well-formed glands with some fused glands |
| Group 3 | 7* | Mostly poor-formed, fused glands with some well-formed glands |
| Group 4 | 8-9 | |
| Group 5 | 10 | Lacks gland formation (or with necrosis) |
Tumor Stage
While the size of a tumor is not an indicator of how aggressive it can be, an important factor in determining a treatment strategy.
- T1-The tumor was found due to elevated PSA and was not detected during DRE or found incidentally during surgery.
- T2-Tumor was found during DRE
- T3-Tumor extends beyond the prostate capsule
- T4-Tumor has invaded the rectum or bladder
Metastasis
Depending on how aggressive the cancer is, your physician may order a bone scan or a CT scan to determine if the cancer has metastasized beyond the area of the prostate. Metastasis indicates a more advanced stage of cancer and will significantly influence the course of treatment.
Diagnosed with Prostate Cancer? Insist on consulting with a Urologist and a Radiation Oncologist immediately and before you decide on a treatment plan. Call 309-451-2231 to schedule a consultation with a Radiation Oncologist.
More Prostate Cancer Information:
Symptoms of Prostate Cancer | Prostate Cancer Treatment Options | FAQs About Prostate Cancer | Prostate Cancer Prevention & Risk Factors
