Different Developmental Stages Of Prostate Cancer
Different Developmental Stages Of Prostate Cancer. Recent studies on oncology, has revealed us that there are existed 5 different stages of one of the most dreadful cancer type, prostate cancer. All these 5 stages are relevant to each other so their proper understanding is required to know how to differentiate one from another.
Out of many other types, prostate cancer is one of the types which if caught during the earlier stages can be controlled. For that, proper check-up of prostate gland size and PSA levels are required to be monitored on annual basis to reduce the risk factors up to 3%.
From all 5 stages of prostate cancer, the first stage of which is believed to be found only by blood test or biopsy. The former involves detection of blood Prostate Specific Antigen elevated levels while the latter involves the removal of tissues of the affected area in a view to examine in the laboratory.
And clinically, this stage is referred as T-1 stage and is typically come under local cancers. This stage involves the presence of microscopic size of a tumor is the respective gland. Usually the symptoms are not really present at all and the tumor is not even visible in rectal examination or ultrasounds.
After T-1, here we come to stage T-2, which is known as second stage of this cancer type. At this level of tumor, it is visible under rectal examination as well as detectable in ultrasound. As the tumor is still not showing metastatic phenomena and is localized to prostate gland only hence this stage, T-2 also comes under local cancers.
With the beginning of third type of the tumor, it starts metastasis. That means it has already started invasions out of the local tissue. And this will begin to be visible in the seminal vesicles and other nearby tissues. This stage is clinically referred as T-3 stage. This stage comes under regional type which means the invasions are still not reached the lymph nodes and are limited to the near surroundings only.
In the 4th stage of the cancer, the cells spread out of the prostate region. Hence clinically, this comes under regional type of cancer and termed as T-4 stage. Here the cells begin to reach the organs and tissues present nearby.
After reaching to different organs and tissues, the abnormal cells crawl into the entire body imparting negative effects. This involves any tissue, any organ, lymph node or even a bone. The cells just jump anywhere they want to be at.
Unlike other four stages, this stage is clinically termed as N+ or M+. The N+ fraction shares the pelvic portion and the relevant lymph nodes where as the M+ fraction is the cause of damage in the lymph nodes other than of N+. The M+ mainly covers the areas which are far away from prostate gland like lymph node, bones and organs. At this final stage, the cancer is regarded as metastatic cancer, which actually reaches lymph nodes and the other parts of the body.
Although proper screening is required to distinguish one type from the other, still there is a hope of successful treatment. The National Cancer Center for Health Statistics has stated that success rate is quite promising in case of prostate cancer type where 99.9% of the male population has survived during last 5 years.