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Saturday, August 15, 2015

Prostate Cancer Staging And Treatment

By Olive Pate


Cancer has become a serious health issue today. Prostate cancer staging is a process that physicians use to describe the location of the cancer, the extent to which it has spread and the probability of it affecting other parts of the body beyond the prostate gland. They could also determine if it could be cured with local therapies.

The procedure is carried out by doctors by carrying out tests to determine the extent of the tumor. The patient undergoes various tests and thus takes a longer time. The doctors are provided with the responsibility of looking at the results and interpreting them. This helps them determine how wide the cancerous growth has spread and the affected areas. In this way doctors can ascertain a suitable form of treatment and determine the chances of survival.

There are various stages in the the spreading of this form of cancer. In the first stage the tumor is found in the prostate gland only. It cannot be sensed in the process of any screening tests. A first stage cancer is usually made up of cells that look more like healthy cells and is likely to grow slowly and is unlikely to be detected or felt by means of an examining finger.

On the second stage, the tumor is too small to be figured on any tests. It is described as slightly larger lump that is felt around the gland. In this second stage, the tumor is still limited to the gland. The cells are always abnormal and grow steadily which increases the risk of the tumor spreading to other parts of the body.

The subsequent stage, the tumor may begin to propagate to other organs and the tissues surrounding the glad. It risks affecting the seminal vesicles too. By this time, the tumor has already spread extensively to the prostatic capsule while the lump is felt and seen vividly on the glands surface.

The fourth stage of the prostate cancer is characterized by the tumor spreading to other body organs around and beyond the gland including the bladder, rectum, lymph nodes and lungs and other body parts.

During the recovery process there are two types of medical stages of the cancer recovery procedure. The clinical stage which is based on the previous test results. Some of the tests include X-rays, bone scans and also MRI scans. Even though, they may not always be necessary. They come recommended depending on the size of the cancerous growth and the stage of the tumor.

The pathologic stage which is based on information passed on during laboratory and surgery outcomes of the prostate tissues extracted during the surgery. The surgery in most cases involves the extraction of the entire glands.

Recurrent cancerous growth may take place in some cases. This is tumor that has reoccurred after the treatment is over. It may happen to come back again in the prostate area or in other parts of the body. The cancerous growth may need to be staged again in case this happens. Being aware of the stage of disease can help determine how aggressively the disease needs to be treated and the chances of its eradication by the available treatment options.




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