Early Stages of Prostate Cancer

An early stage of prostate cancer means that the disease is just beginning. Since PSA (prostate-specific antigen) testing has become routine in men over 50, prostate cancer is being found earlier than ever through the simple blood test. Biopsies are often performed before lumps are felt or detected on imaging, and prostate cancer is diagnosed in its beginning stages.

PSA

• A PSA level under 4 is considered normal, though patients with numbers close to that amount are retested more frequently than men with a low number. While a prostate-specific antigen level does not prove a patient has prostate cancer, it does show the need for further testing, as the disease may be in its early stages.

DRE

• A digital rectum exam (DRE) can detect prostate cancer in its early stages. With this exam a physician can feel changes in the prostate that may indicate the beginnings of the disease.

Stage I

• Stage I is prostate cancer that is localized only within that gland. In stage 1, prostate cancer is usually not felt and may not even carry any symptoms.

Stage II

• Prostate cancer in stage II has begun to spread in the prostate. It is more likely to be felt by the doctor, but not always.

Stage III

• There may be no symptoms of prostate cancer in its early stages. If there are symptoms, the most common ones are difficulty urinating; blood in the semen or urine; pain in the hips, lower back or legs; and sexual dysfunction.

Considerations

• Prostate cancer detected in early stages is highly treatable. The majority of men diagnosed in the early stages do not die from the disease.