Prostate Cancer

About

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men, and the risk of prostate cancer increases as men age. By age 50, as many as one in four men have some cancerous cells in the prostate gland. By age 80, the ratio increases to one in two.

As men age, their risk of prostate cancer increases. However, most prostate cancer patients are more likely to die with prostate cancer than to die of it. Consider: an American man has about a 30 percent risk of developing prostate cancer, but only about a 3 percent risk of dying from the disease. Prostate cancer generally grows slowly and initially stays within the prostate gland. However, some types of prostate cancer are more aggressive and can spread more quickly.

Healthy prostate and cancerous prostate

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Men whose prostate cancer is detected early, while still confined to the prostate gland, have a better chance for successful treatment with minimal or short-term side effects. Treating cancer that has spread beyond the prostate gland is more difficult. At any stage, however, treatments are available to help control the cancer.

What to Expect

Mayo Clinic doctors use several diagnostic procedures to detect prostate cancer and determine the cancer type and staging. Initially, patients undergo a digital rectal exam to determine whether the prostate is enlarged or otherwise abnormal. If prostate cancer is suspected, additional diagnostic procedures, such as a biopsy and imaging tests, are conducted. Read more about prostate cancer diagnosis.

If prostate cancer is confirmed, your doctor will explain and discuss treatment options with you. Treatment approaches for prostate cancer range from prostate removal surgery, called prostatectomy, to non-surgical treatment options such as radiation, brachytherapy, hormone therapy, and cryotherapy. Mayo Clinic surgeons have extensive experience with prostate cancer surgery, performing more than 1,500 prostatectomies each year.

After initial treatment, patients are usually monitored through prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests every few months following treatment, on a schedule determined by the surgeon. Over time, if a patient's PSA levels remain low, only one PSA test each year is usually necessary.

Read more about prostate cancer at www.MayoClinic.com.