Prostate cancer is a cancer that forms in tissues of the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system found below the bladder and in front of the rectum. Prostate cancer usually occurs in older men. It is the most common cancer in men aged over 50, and the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in men, after lung cancer. Worldwide, more than 300.000 men die of prostate cancer every year and this number will grow in the future due to population ageing.

Prostate cancer originates from uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the prostate. The tissue resulting from this growth is called a tumor. Prostate cancer cells can also travel through blood vessels and lymph vessels to other parts of the body, such as the bone. After spreading, prostate cancer cells may attach to other tissues and grow to form new tumors that may damage those tissues. This process is called metastasis.

Prostate cancer has different stages of evolution. Although the disease can be ignored for many years, due to the absence of symptoms, more aggressive forms can develop. Different criteria, including the size of the tumor and the presence of tumor in the lymph node and other tissues of the body determine the stage of the disease.

Treatment

A number of different treatment options are available for patients with prostate cancer. These include:

• Surgery
• Radiation therapy
• HIFU (High Intensity Focused Ultrasound)
• Hormone therapy
• Chemotherapy
• Immunotherapy

The treatment that is implemented depends on the stage of the disease and other patient-specific characteristics such as age and general health status. Despite these treatment options, prostate cancer often progresses into untreatable metastatic disease with fatal outcome.