subject: Understanding The Stages Of Prostate Cancer [print this page] Although prostate cancer originates in the prostate, it may spread to different parts of the body. The cancer becomes more dangerous as it spreads. There are 4 stages of prostate cancer. Based on its progression, prostate cancer is classified as stage 1, stage 2, stage 3, or stage 4 according to specific criteria.
Key Terminology
It will be essential for us to define some key terms to help you understand how prostate cancer is classified. There are three basic criteria that doctors look at to help differentiate between the stages of this cancer. These are geographic location of cancer cells inside the body, PSA level, and Gleason Score.
PSA level: Prostate specific antigen (PSA) is a protein produced by the prostate that can be detected at various levels in the blood stream. A high PSA level in the blood may be an indication of prostate cancer.
Gleason Score: The Gleason Score is a number from 2-10 and describes how different the cancer cells appear to be from normal cells. A high Gleason score means that the tumor is more likely to spread.
The Staging Process
Prostate cancer is diagnosed following a biopsy that confirms the presence of cancerous cells in the prostate. After diagnosis, it is essential that doctors determine how far the cancer has progressed and how severe a threat it currently poses to the patient. In this process, doctors run a series of tests to determine how far the cancer has spread. These tests may include bone scans, MRIs, CT scans, pelvic lymphadenectomy, and seminal vesicle biopsy. This process is known as staging. After all of the necessary tests have been evaluated, the cancer will be classified into one of the four stages of prostate cancer. A stage 4 classification indicates that the cancer has spread significantly and poses the highest threat to the patient.
Stages of Prostate Cancer
Stage 1: This is the least dangerous of the stages. Cancer is confined to less than half the prostate. PSA level is less than 10 and the Gleason score is 6 or lower.
Stage 2A: The cancer is still found only in the prostate. PSA level is greater than 10 but less than 20 and the Gleason score is 7 or lower.
Stage 2B: The cancer has spread to both sides of the prostate with PSA and Gleason scores at any level. If the tumor is undetectable by a rectal exam and digital imaging, a PSA is higher than 20 or Gleason score higher than 8 will be classified as stage 2B.
Stage 3: The cancer has spread beyond the prostate and may have entered the seminal vesicle. PSA and Gleason score can be at any level.
Stage 4: This is the most severe of the stages. The cancer has spread beyond the seminal vesicle to other parts of the body. It may be found in the lymph nodes, bones, rectum, bladder, and other organs. PSA and Gleason score may be at any level.
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