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Prostate cancer in the second most common cancer in men worldwide and the single most common cancer in men in the United States. Worldwide over 1000 men are expected to die from prostate cancer every day. In the United States men have a 12-13% lifetime risk of developing prostate cancer. Prostate cancer presents a unique risk to men with no easy answers on how to find this disease at an early stage. Let’s review what we learned about prostate cancer so far. Afterwards, I would like to pray for you.

When prostate cancer has spread outside the prostate gland to affect the lymph nodes of other parts of the body, this is called metastatic prostate cancer. If you have been told that you have this disease, do not be discouraged. This is not a death sentence. There are many men that live a healthy and fulfilling life with this disease. At times, a doctor may even wait to begin treatment for metastatic prostate cancer if there are no symptoms. When treatment is necessary, there are several things one can expect.

There are many types of treatments for prostate cancer. Along with other medications, some men are treated with surgery or radiation. At other times, prostate cancer does not need to be treated. It can be “watched,” or monitored from year to year. In our previous blog and podcast, we discussed how the Gleason score can help guide a treatment course for prostate cancer. In addition to the Gleason score, there are other factors, such as the PSA level and tumor stage, that will be help plan a path to treat prostate cancer. Let’s find out how the Gleason score, PSA level, and tumor stage are used to help formulate a plan to treat prostate cancer.