Understanding Prostate Cancer
When you or a loved one is diagnosed with prostate cancer, the most important thing you can do is learn everything you can about available treatment options. The good news is that prostate cancer is one of the most treatable cancers. The prognosis for curing the cancer and long term survival is excellent when the cancer is caught early and treated effectively.
About one third of American men will have microscopic traces of prostate cancer by age 50. Half to three-quarters of all men will have some cancerous changes in their prostate glands by age 75. More than half of all men will have some cancer in their prostate by age 80.1
Every patient’s prostate cancer should be treated based on their individual situation, including whether to actively treat the cancer and what method to use.
Active treatment usually begins a few weeks to months after diagnosis. During this time, you should meet with various doctors to learn about your treatment options. It's also a good idea to include your spouse or partner in your decision-making process. After all, a diagnosis of cancer and the treatment choices you make affect both of you.2
In this section, you can learn about the symptoms, growth and diagnosis of prostate cancer: