Prostate Cancer, Spreading

What is prostate cancer?

Prostate cancer is the growth of abnormal cells in the prostate gland. Growths of cancer cells are called tumors.

The prostate gland is part of a man’s reproductive system. It is, on average, a little bigger than a walnut. It is located between the base of the bladder and the beginning of the penis. It surrounds the upper part of the urethra. (The urethra carries urine from the bladder out through the penis.) The prostate makes the fluid that nourishes and carries sperm.

Spread of cancer cells from the prostate to other parts of the body is called metastasis.

What causes spread of the cancer?

The cancer spreads when cancer cells from the tumor in the prostate gland travel through the bloodstream and lymph system to other parts of the body (usually the bones). New tumors then grow in these other areas. How far the cancer spreads depends on the type of cells, their location, and your response to treatment. Bones are the most common place for new tumors.

The cause of prostate cancer is not known.

What are the symptoms?

The most common symptom of prostate cancer that has spread is bone pain, especially in the lower back and pelvis.

How is it diagnosed?

Your healthcare provider will review your symptoms and examine you. Having a biopsy to remove and test prostate tissue is the only sure way to diagnose prostate cancer. To check for spread of the cancer, you may have;

• X-rays of the area where you have pain
• bone scan, which uses a radioactive chemical to look at the bones
• MRI scan, which uses a powerful magnetic field and radio waves to take pictures from different angles to show thin cross sections of parts of the body

How is it treated?

The treatment for prostate cancer that has spread to other parts of your body depends on:

• your symptoms
• how much the cancer has spread to other parts of the body
• which treatments you have already had
• your overall health

Some of the treatment options, which may be used alone or together, are:

• Hormones and surgery
  • Estrogen, a female hormone, may be prescribed to help treat prostate cancer.
  • Surgery may be done to remove both testicles (orchiectomy). The testicles make the male hormone, testosterone. Removal of the testicles can lower the amount of this hormone in the body. The cancer needs testosterone to grow and spread.
  • Injections of a type of medicine called a pituitary gland suppressor may be given to keep the pituitary gland from making a substance that causes the testicles to make testosterone.
• Chemotherapy: Anticancer drugs may be used to kill the cancer cells.
• Radiation therapy: Cancerous areas may be exposed to high doses of radiation to:
  • shrink the size of a tumor or destroy some of the cancer cells
  • lessen pain if a tumor is pressing on a nerve or spreading to the bones

How can I take care of myself?

• Follow the full course of treatment prescribed by your healthcare provider.
• Eat a healthy diet and get regular exercise and rest.
• Try to reduce stress and take time for activities that you enjoy. It may help to talk with a counselor about your illness.
• Ask your provider any questions you have about the course of the disease, treatments, side effects of the treatments, sexuality, support groups, and anything else that concerns you.
• Ask your provider about alternative methods for pain control, such as relaxation techniques, guided imagery, and hypnosis.
• For more information, contact:
  • American Cancer Society, Inc.
    Phone: 800-ACS-2345 (800-227-2345)
    Web site: http://www.cancer.org
  • National Cancer Institute
    Phone: 800-4-CANCER (800-422-6237)
    Web site: http://www.cancer.gov

How can I help prevent the spread of prostate cancer?

The spread of cancer may be prevented by finding and treating urinary tract cancer early, before it spreads to other parts of the body. Follow your healthcare provider’s recommendations for treatment and have checkups as often as your provider recommends.