Prostate Cancer Survival

Many patients of prostate cancer feel interested in knowing about the survival rates for their kind of cancer. The present article is a thing for such people. The database of prostate cancer survival statistics of National Cancer Institute (NCI) divides cancer of the prostate into local, regional and distant stages. In the local stage, there is no sign that the prostate cancer has spread to the structures surrounding the prostate. Almost 90% of the cases get diagnosed for prostate cancer in this stage. The regional stage indicates the signs of the spread of the cancer outside the prostate. However, the cancer has not reached distant parts of the body. In the distant stage of prostate cancer, it has spread to distant organs of the body. Keep reading to learn about the symptoms, available treatment measures and survival rate of prostate cancer.

Prostate Cancer Symptoms
Prostate cancer cannot be determined alone by signs and symptoms because they are similar to various other problems of prostate. The detection is usually done by certain diagnostic tests like PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen, generally higher in those with cancer) and a DRE (Digital Rectal Exam). However, having a knowledge of the symptoms of prostate cancer will help you seek medical attention on time. Some of the common symptoms of prostate cancer are difficulty urinating, pain or burning sensation during urination, frequent urination and interrupted flow or weak flow of urine. Some of other signs of prostate cancer are blood in semen or in the urine, pain upon ejaculation, difficulty starting urination or holding it in and pain in thighs, lower back, pelvic areas, or hips.

Prostate Cancer Treatment
The treatment for prostate cancer can be treated with medications, surgery and radiation. The surgery conducted for curing prostate cancer is called radical prostatectomy. It involves a complete removal of all the prostate and nearby tissue which could also have been affected. There is another type of surgery which is used to allow enough nerve tissue such that erections remain possible. This type of surgery is preferred over the former as it does not terminate the sexual life of the person involved. Radiation entails using either an external beam of radiation upon the prostate or implantation of a radioactive seed in the prostate by way of a needle. These are generally outpatient surgeries. In case the patient is with early prostate cancer and is elderly or has other medical conditions, he is kept under medical supervision.

Prostate Cancer Survival Rates
The survival rates is the percentage of patients, having a certain type and at a certain stage of prostate cancer, who survive the disease for a specific time period after their diagnosis. In majority of the cases, the statistics is made to indicate the 5-year rate of survival for prostate cancer. This is the percentage of patients who are alive 5 years after they were diagnosed for prostate cancer. You can never find two patients to be exactly alike. They will differ in the causes and treatment of prostate cancer. This is why both early and advanced prostate cancer survival rate without treatment or with cure is assessed on the basis of large groups of people. Hence, the data cannot be used to predict what will happen in a particular case.

There are some factors which form the basis of cancer survival rates. The foremost is the stage of prostate cancer. Secondly, the age and general medical condition of the patient. Thirdly, the fact whether the prostate cancer has been diagnosed for the first time or has come back. Lastly, the Gleason score. The Gleason score indicate whether the prostate cancer is slow growing or is likely to spread to other body parts. The prostate cancer survival rate by stage in the local stage is 100%. It is also 100% in the regional stage. The rate of survival for prostate cancer is about 31% in the distant stage.

This is all on the symptoms, treatment and survival rate of prostate cancer. Hope, you gained useful information from this article on prostate cancer survival.