Staging is a term that is used to describe if a cancer has spread from where it first began. Prostate cancer staging is commonly described as:
Most of the time, tests such as an MRI scan or a CT scan are not very good at telling your doctor how much prostate cancer is present or whether it has spread.
Rarely, your doctor can feel a prostate cancer during a rectal exam. Sometimes a test called a bone scan will be done to see if the cancer has spread to your bones (a common place for the cancer to go).
However, your doctor will also use other information, to help guide treatment and follow-up and give you some idea of what to expect in the future. Other information includes:
It is important to understand that only if and when you have surgery to remove the prostate gland can you and your doctor know for certain what the stage of your prostate cancer is.
However, using your symptoms, physical exam, and results of tests described just above, your doctors will often have a pretty good idea which stage of prostate cancer you have.
Antonarakis ES, Eisenberger MA. Expanding treatment options for metastatic prostate cancer. N Engl J Med. 2011 May 26;364(21):2055-8.
Wilt TJ, MacDonald R, et al. Systematic review: comparative effectiveness and harms of treatments for clinically localized prostate cancer. Ann Intern Med. 2008;148(6):435-448.
Prostate Cancer Treatment (PDQ®) Last Modified: 06/01/2011
Updated by: Louis S. Liou, MD, PhD, Chief of Urology, Cambridge Health Alliance, Visiting Assistant Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
MedlinePlus Topics
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is an independent audit to verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial policy, editorial process and privacy policy. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).
The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 1997-2012, A.D.A.M., Inc. Duplication for commercial use must be authorized in writing by ADAM Health Solutions.