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Article Series: Cancer
Help Me Understand Cancer
What
is Stage B, Stage C & Stage D Prostate Cancer?
Stages A, B, and certain stage C disease include
cancers that have not spread; they have not spawned new tumor
colonies in other tissues away from the prostate gland. Some
stage C and all stage D disease consists of tumors that have
already spread beyond the prostate capsule either by direct
extension (growth into surrounding tissue) or metastases.
Stage B
Stage B cancers are palpable - meaning large enough to be
felt as a nodule or hardening in the peripheral zone of the
prostate gland during a rectal examination, which is generally
how they are diagnosed. They usually do not cause any symptoms
or discomfort, although some men may have urinary symptoms
that were believed to be related to BPH.
B1 designates a small nodule found only on
one lobe, while large or multiple nodules are usually staged
as B2 disease.
All stage B tumors are those still localized to the gland,
with no metastases or direct extension to surrounding tissue.
However, at the time of surgery, they are often found to be
more extensive - pointing to a limitation in our ability to
stage cancer "clinically" before treatment is undertaken.
Stage C
Stage C tumors have spread through most or all of the prostate
gland, making it rock hard, and have pushed past the borders
of the prostate into surrounding structures. C1 is the category
often used for disease that has spread outside the prostate
capsule but not to the seminal vesicles, while C2 and C3 describe
cancer that is believed to have spread to involve the seminal
vesicles. Patients who have stage C cancers are often diagnosed
after urinary symptoms cause them to seek medical help.
If the cancer has spread into the seminal vesicles adjacent
to the prostate, the patient is still classified as having
stage C disease, but often he will soon develop evidence of
spread to distant organs. For this reason, some patients with
stage C2 or C3 cancer will be treated as though they in fact
have metastatic or stage D disease.
Stage D
Stage D is cancer that has metastasized to the lymph nodes
or bone, or possibly other tissues as well. D1 is the substage
used to describe patients who have cancerous cells detected
in their lymph nodes, while D2 describes those who have actual
metastases in the bone or sometimes other tissues. Two other
subcategories are sometimes mentioned. Stage D3 is sometimes
used to describe metastatic prostate cancer that has become
resistant (refractory) to hormonal therapy.
You must understand that "D" does
not stand for death. Men with stage D1 disease many times
live out normal
lives if they receive appropriate and timely treatment. Stage
D2 disease can also be controlled for long periods of time,
sometimes a number of years, before the cancer becomes resistant
to our best available treatments. # # # # #
by SolveYourProblem.com
: 2006
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