At first, the growth of the cancer occurs very slowly and is usually limited within the prostate gland. Later on in the course of the illness, the prostate cancer cells can spread around the body, particularly to the bones where they can cause pain. Estimates show that the cancer may have been growing in some men for up to 10 years before it causes symptoms and is diagnosed. Some men develop symptoms whereas others do not. There appears to be several forms of prostate cancer.
Some men survive for many years with the disease and never develop symptoms.
These men may be oblivious to the fact that they have a slow growing form of prostate cancer and may eventually die of other causes. However, other prostate cancers can be more aggressive and can grow quickly. Unfortunately, we cannot differentiate between these two forms of the disease using the currently available diagnostic tools.