Prostate Cancer (cont.)

Outlook

The prognosis in prostate cancer depends on the stage of the cancer and the degree of differentiation.

• Differentiation refers to how closely the cancer resembles normal tissue. The less differentiated the cancer, the poorer the prognosis.
  
  
• The stage refers to the extent of the cancer-whether it is localized or has spread beyond the prostate. The greater the degree of cancer spread, the poorer the outlook.

Five-year survival rates are very good for men with prostate cancer.

• According to the American Cancer Society, 92% of men with these cancers survive at least 5 years.
  
  
• Most prostate cancers are slow growing, as shown by the fact that 67% of men with prostate cancer survive at least 10 years.
  
  
• Sometimes, however, prostate cancers grow and spread rapidly. Therefore, early diagnosis is essential for a cure.

If you are elderly and have other medical conditions, watchful waiting may be the most prudent course.

• Therapy may be more harmful than the cancer.
  
  
• This is especially true if your life expectancy is less than 10 years.
  
  
• Many times, elderly men with prostate cancer actually die of something else, such as heart disease, not the slow-growing prostate cancer.
  
  
• You and your family members should discuss this with your urologist.

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