| Prostate cancer can spread throughout the body | | | | spread to the bone, treatment for advanced |
| through different means, but it tends to spread to | | | | metastatic cancer centres on slowing the cancers |
| bones rather than to other organs. Metastases | | | | growth and reducing symptoms rather than a cure. |
| means cancer spread, and with prostate cancer | | | | Treatment also aims at prolonging life, and increasing |
| these can occur when the tumour is small. To | | | | its quality. |
| determine whether the cancer has become an | | | | Possible treatments for advanced metastatic |
| advanced metastatic cancer, a bone scan is used. If | | | | prostate cancer are that can slow the tumours |
| it is found that the cancer has spread to the bone | | | | growth are: |
| then the disease will be treated as an advanced | | | | Radiotherapy |
| metastatic disease, even if the tumour in the | | | | Hormone treatment |
| prostate itself is relatively small. | | | | Chemotherapy |
| There are two different stages of prostate cancer | | | | All prostate cancer treatments have associated side |
| spread (or metastases), denoted by: | | | | effects, so no one will force a patient into taking a |
| M0 - The cancer has not yet spread outside the | | | | particular therapy. The best course of action will be |
| pelvic area | | | | advised by the doctor, but ultimately the decision to |
| M1 - The cancer has spread outside the pelvic area | | | | have or not to have treatment is the patients. |
| In the case of an advanced metastatic prostate | | | | Do you want more information about Prostate |
| cancer, the M1 label is used. | | | | Cancer and its treatments? To find out more, please |
| In this scenario, it is considered unlikely that the | | | | visit Prostate Cancer Info. |
| cancer will be able to be cured. Once the cancer has | | | | ProstateCancerFAQ. |