Prostate cancer
Last medical review:
What is prostate cancer?
Prostate cancer starts in prostate cells. The most common type is adenocarcinoma.
Risks for prostate cancer
Risks that increase your chances of developing prostate cancer include family history, Black ethnicity and obesity.
Finding prostate cancer early
The best ways to find prostate cancer early are to recognize symptoms and have a personal plan for testing if you have a higher risk.
Symptoms of prostate cancer
Common signs and symptoms of prostate cancer include changes in bladder habits, blood in the urine or semen and painful ejaculation.
Diagnosis of prostate cancer
Tests such as digital rectal exam (DRE), prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test and prostate biopsy can be used to diagnose or rule out prostate cancer.
Grading prostate cancer
Grading describes how cancer cells look compared to healthy cells. The Gleason classification system is most often used to grade prostate cancer.
Stages of prostate cancer
The stage of prostate cancer describes how much cancer is in the body. Prostate cancer is often staged as localized, locally advanced or metastatic.
If prostate cancer spreads
Prostate cancer can spread (metastasize) to the bladder, lymph nodes and bones.
Prognosis and survival for prostate cancer
Prognosis estimates the outcome for prostate cancer. It depends on many factors including stage, grade and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level.
Treatments for prostate cancer
Prostate cancer can be treated with active surveillance, surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy and hormone therapy.
Supportive care for prostate cancer
Supportive care for prostate cancer helps people meet physical, emotional and spiritual challenges.
Prostate cancer statistics
Cancer statistics tell us how many people in Canada are diagnosed with and die from prostate cancer in a certain time frame.