Staging and Grading Prostate Cancer
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Prostate cancer is characterized by both "grade" and "stage."
The grade indicates how quickly the cancer is growing. The higher
the grade, the more likely that the cancer will grow and spread
rapidly. The size and extent of the tumor determine the stage.
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Staging prostate cancer
After prostate cancer has been diagnosed, tests are done
to find out the size and location of the cancer, and to
determine if the cancer has metastasized (spread) beyond
the prostate. This process is called staging. Knowing the
stage of the cancer is important for planning the right treatment.
Several systems are used to stage prostate cancer. The most
common are the ABCD system and the TNM system.
ABCD staging system
The ABCD staging system includes four categories:
- Stage A
- Typically, Stage A prostate cancer causes no symptoms.
- The cancer is located entirely within the prostate gland, but is too small
to be detected by a digital rectal exam.
- In many cases, Stage A prostate cancer is uncovered by diagnosing and
treating another prostate-related problem, such as a benign (noncancerous)
tumor. It also may be discovered during a follow-up for an abnormal PSA blood
test.
- Stage B
- In Stage B, prostate cancer is still confined within the prostate
but is now big enough to be detected by a digital rectal exam or ultrasound imaging.
- Stage C
- A Stage C prostate cancer is more advanced.
- The cancer has spread beyond the capsule, or outer layer, of the
prostate to the immediately surrounding tissue but not to distant organs.
- Stage D
- The cancer has spread to distant areas of the body, often the lymph nodes or bones.
TNM staging system
The TNM system is more specific in how it categorizes
prostate cancer and involves assessing the size of the
tumor, determining whether the cancer has spread to the
lymph nodes, and evaluating the degree to which the cancer
has spread, or metastasized, to other areas of the body.
TNM is an abbreviation that stands for:
- T = Tumor size
- N = Nodes (extent of spread to the lymph nodes)
- M = Metastasis (extent of spread to other parts of the body)
T stages
- Stage T1: Prostate cancer is confined to the prostate and
is not detectable by digital rectal exam or ultrasound.
- Stage T2: The tumor is confined to the prostate but is detectable by
digital rectal exam or ultrasound.
- Stage T3: The cancer has spread to tissue surrounding the prostate.
- Stage T4: The cancer has spread to organs near the prostate, such as the
bladder, but is still within the pelvic region.
N stages
- Stage N0: The cancer has not spread to the lymph nodes.
- Stage N+: The cancer has spread to the lymph nodes.
M stages
- Stage M0: The cancer has not spread to other parts of the body.
- Stage M+: The cancer has spread to the bones or to distant parts of the body.
Next: Grading the Prostate Cancer >
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