|
Prostate
cancer is classified by both stages and grades.
There are two types of prostate cancer stages: clinical
staging and pathological
staging. Clinical staging is based
on information the doctor already has, such as the digital
rectal exam (DRE), but not the PSA or the Gleason
scoring. In pathological staging, after the removal
of the lymph nodes or the prostate, a doctor can make
a more accurate judgment about the tumors extension
into other tissues and systems and then make a subsequent
prognosis.
Prostate cancer is commonly classified
into the TNM system. T stands for tumor; N stands for
lymph node; M stands for metastasis. T1 and T2 designate early prostate cancer, while T3 and T4 designate advanced stage prostate cancer. The notation N is used to designate metastasis to the lymph
nodes and the notation M designates distant metastasis.
|
