The prostate, which is about the size of a walnut, is one of the male sex glands and is located just below the bladder and in front of the rectum. It surrounds part of the urethra, the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the outside of the body. Survivability of prostate cancer is determined by extent of disease present at diagnosis or stage. Localized prostate cancer, which has an almost 100 percent 5-year survival rate, means the cancer is confined to the prostate. Finally, a distant stage, which has a 31 percent 5-year survival rate, means the cancer has spread to and affected other organs located at a distance away from the prostate, especially and most frequently the boney skeleton.
Recurrent disease means the cancer has come back after it has been treated.
It may return to the prostate or to another part of the body. Regular screenings are important in detecting prostate cancer in its earliest states. The types of treatment available depend on the stage of the cancer. In very early stages or in elderly men or men with other medical problems, the physician and patient may decide to cautiously watch the cancer and wait. Surgery, called a radical prostatectomy, is a common treatment for prostate cancer and involves removing the entire prostate and some of the surrounding tissue.