Prostate Cancer Staging And Diagnosis

By Olive Pate


Cancer is a major health problem today. Prostate cancer staging is a procedure mostly performed by doctors who wish to depict the location of the tumor and level of proliferation. It also determines the probability of the tumor infecting other body organs and if its curable using normal procedures.

The procedure is carried out by doctors by carrying out tests to determine the extent of the tumor. The patient undergoes various tests and thus takes a longer time. The doctors are provided with the responsibility of looking at the results and interpreting them. This helps them determine how wide the cancerous growth has spread and the affected areas. In this way doctors can ascertain a suitable form of treatment and determine the chances of survival.

The tumor spreads in stages. The first stage is mostly comprised of series of undetected tumor. It can not be felt or seen on any imaging tests. It is found on the gland only and is made up of cells that are deceivingly healthy and have a slow but steady growth. They can not be detected easily and thus hard to treat at this stage.

The tumor is described as a slightly huge lump that can be felt around the gland on the second stage. Although it is too small to be seen on any screen tests. At this time the tumor has not spread to other parts of the body nevertheless, the cells appear to be strange and seem to be growing steadily.

The subsequent stage, the tumor may begin to propagate to other organs and the tissues surrounding the glad. It risks affecting the seminal vesicles too. By this time, the tumor has already spread extensively to the prostatic capsule while the lump is felt and seen vividly on the glands surface.

The fourth stage of the prostate cancer is characterized by the tumor spreading to other body organs around and beyond the gland including the bladder, rectum, lymph nodes and lungs and other body parts.

Through early detection the tumor could be eliminated through various medical stages. The clinical stage, norms its basis on test results that were done before. The tests such as an MRI scan and bone scans are performed although they are not necessary unless advised in reference to the size of the tumor and its stage.

The pathologic stage which is based on information passed on during laboratory and surgery outcomes of the prostate tissues extracted during the surgery. The surgery in most cases involves the extraction of the entire glands.

The cancerous growth may appear again after treatment. This is the recurrent prostate cancer. It may appear in the gland or other body organs. In case this takes place the tumor may need to be staged once again to determine the form of treatment to be provided early and if it could be eliminated through these treatments.




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