| Once a patient is diagnosed with prostate cancer, it is | | | | determining whether removal of the prostate gland |
| then important that information regarding the extent | | | | may be in order, though it will not show the extent |
| of the spread is determined, and how much it has | | | | of the cancer spread. The pathologic stage is |
| affected the gland. Determining this is what is called | | | | determined after surgery and will enable one to |
| prostate cancer staging. Prostate cancer staging | | | | know the severity of the cancer - also, one will be |
| involves categorizing the disease in specific | | | | able to have a better impression on how it might fair |
| classification in order to derive the appropriate | | | | for him in the future. |
| approach for your treatment. | | | | Prostate cancer staging systems, whichever is used, |
| Prostate cancer staging conventionally was done by | | | | provide a general guideline on what to expect at |
| classifying the stages as Stages A, B, C and D. | | | | each particular level. It describes the condition of the |
| Stages A and B may be curable, and in both cases, | | | | prostate and the cancer cells in it, the treatment that |
| the cancer is localized within the gland. In this type of | | | | may work for your particular stage, and the |
| prostate cancer staging, stage C has the cancer | | | | prognosis for your case. |
| spreading beyond the prostate but has not reached | | | | With the valuable information it provides, prostate |
| the lymph nodes. Some in this stage have some | | | | cancer staging systems will be a useful tool for both |
| hope of being cured. In stage D, the cancer has | | | | patients and doctors alike. Patients will be able to |
| already reached the lymph nodes, bones and some | | | | understand their current situation and the specific |
| other areas. Though the prostate cancer in this stage | | | | status of their prostate. Doctors will be able to rely |
| may no longer be curable, it can be treated for | | | | on them to come up with the suitable approach for |
| purposes of slowing its effect down. | | | | the patients they are treating. |
| New prostate cancer staging systems now use the | | | | Without prostate cancer staging systems, there |
| TNM notation. T means tumor, N means Nodes | | | | would not be any means of putting meaning of the |
| (lymph nodes), and M means metastasized to other | | | | level and severity of the cancer experienced by the |
| body organs. | | | | patient - no reference for appropriate approach in |
| For this prostate cancer staging system, the T | | | | treating prostate cancer. A prostate cancer staging |
| classification has two types: a.) clinical stage, and b.) | | | | system has continued to be an efficient tool and |
| pathologic stage. The clinical stage is important in | | | | basis for one's treatment & prognosis. |