Prostate Cancer

Overview

Prostate cancer begins in a man's prostate — a small, walnut-shaped gland that's found below the bladder. It produces fluid that makes up part of semen. In American men, prostate cancer is the second most common cancer (after skin cancer) and the risk increases with age. Many men with prostate cancer are more likely to die with prostate cancer than to die of it. However, it remains the second leading cause of cancer death for men.

Most prostate cancer grows slowly and initially stays within the prostate gland, but it can spread to local lymph nodes, bones or more distant areas. Some rare types of prostate cancer are more aggressive and can spread more quickly. Men whose prostate cancer is detected early, before it has spread, have a better chance of successful treatment.

Why choose Mayo Clinic for prostate cancer

• Experience and teamwork. At Mayo Clinic, an expert team of urologists, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists and other specialists, if needed, work together to provide the best care possible. Mayo Clinic specialists treat several thousand men with prostate cancer each year.
• Full range of treatments available. Mayo Clinic offers a complete range of prostate cancer treatments, including watchful waiting, sometimes called active surveillance; radiation therapy, including intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and brachytherapy; hormone therapy; surgery to remove the prostate (prostatectomy); cryosurgery; high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU); and chemotherapy.
• Latest diagnostic and treatment options. Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., is currently the only medical center in North America approved by the Food and Drug Administration to prepare and administer Choline C-11 PET scan to help detect sites of prostate cancer that have returned despite treatment (recurrent prostate cancer). Choline C-11 PET scan may be used when other imaging has not been helpful. Choline C-11 PET scan is a positron emission tomography (PET) scan that uses a special chemical tracer called Choline C-11 Injection. Choline C-11 PET scan may help doctors detect possible sites of recurrent prostate cancer that more conventional imaging tests can't identify. Locating recurrent prostate cancer sooner may allow your doctor to identify small, isolated deposits of cancer — both inside and outside your prostate — that can be targeted for more-effective treatment.
  
  Mayo Clinic is a pioneer in radical prostatectomy and in the use of robotic prostatectomy, making significant advances to the technology and techniques used in this minimally invasive treatment procedure. The robotic system allows smaller and more-precise incisions that promote faster recovery than traditional open or laparoscopic surgery does.
• Latest research. Researchers at Mayo Clinic investigate many issues related to prostate cancer, such as long-term outcomes following surgery. For decades, Mayo Clinic has been compiling a database, believed to be the largest of its kind, which includes records from men who have had prostate cancer surgery. This information can help doctors determine the most effective treatment for each person.
• Comprehensive cancer center. Mayo Clinic Cancer Center meets strict standards for a National Cancer Institute comprehensive cancer center, which recognizes scientific excellence and a multispecialty approach focused on cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., is ranked among the Best Hospitals for cancer by U.S. News & World Report. Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla., and Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Ariz., are ranked high performing for cancer by U.S. News & World Report.

Mayo Clinic: Answers you can trust

At Mayo Clinic, we assemble a team of specialists who take the time to listen and thoroughly understand your health issues and concerns. We tailor the care you receive to your personal health care needs. You can trust our specialists to collaborate and offer you the best possible outcomes, safety and service.

Mayo Clinic is a not-for-profit medical institution that reinvests all earnings into improving medical practice, research and education. We're constantly involved in innovation and medical research, finding solutions to improve your care and quality of life. Your doctor or someone on your medical team is likely involved in research related to your condition.

Our patients tell us that the quality of their interactions, our attention to detail and the efficiency of their visits mean health care — and trusted answers — like they've never experienced.

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