Prostate cancer is a serious concern for older men. Although it is rare that it is found in men under the age of fifty medical research has now demonstrated that at least traces of the disease can be found in the bodies of almost all elderly men living in the United States.

The treatment for prostate cancer varies according to stage at which the disease has progressed to in an individual patient. In fact the process of “staging” a prostate cancer is the first step in any treatment plan.

Stage One prostate cancers are usually very small and have what is called a low “Gleason score”. A Gleason score is a numerical system used for describing how abnormal diseased prostate cells look in comparison to healthy ones. Stage 1 prostate cancer patients are usually presented with a range of treatment options by their doctors. These include frequent monitoring of the prostate without any treatment, external beam radiology that is designed to shrink tumors or brachytherapy or “seed implant” which deliver high doses of radiation to targeted areas of the prostate after being implanted into the body by a minimally invasive surgical technique. The treatment options for those diagnosed with Stage 2 prostate cancer are very similar, with a surgery called Radical Prostatectomy also being offered as an alternative.

In stage 3 prostate cancers the disease has spread beyond the confines off the prostate but have not reached the bladder, rectum, lymph nodes, or other distant organs. The effectiveness of surgery and radiation may be decreased but they still remain viable treatment options

Unfortunately if a prostate cancer patient’s tumor is graded at Stage 4 the outlook is rather dire, as that means that cancer has also spread to the bladder, rectum, lymph nodes and in some cases into the bones and bloodstream. Most doctors consider these patients to be at a level of disease that is practically incurable but there are those who will still try treatments such as surgery and external beam radiology with hormone therapy in the hope that they can at least improve the quality of the patients remaining lifespan.

The good news is that the medical techniques available for treating all stages of prostate cancer are improving all the time.

As with all cancers though, early detection of prostate cancer gives the patient the best chance of survival. The most commonly used diagnostic test for prostate cancer is a simple digital rectal exam. Current medical guidelines suggest that all men over the age of 50 should undergo an annual digital rectal exam, and those of African American descent, who have been statistically shown to be at higher risk for prostate cancer should begin getting one at the age of 45.