Prostate Cancer Prognosis

Whenever anyone is diagnosed with cancer, the obvious question they will want to ask – in most cases – is what their prognosis is. A prognosis is basically an idea of what your outlook is likely to be given the stage of cancer you have and how far advanced it is.

This applies just as much to prostate cancer as it does to all other cancers. And needless to say, the sooner the cancer is diagnosed the better your prognosis is going to be.

However it is not easy to give any firm prognosis for cancer of the prostate. This is because there are a lot of variables and it is difficult to know how to gauge what the likely outcome might be for any one person. A specialist might see two men who present with exactly the same type of cancer, in exactly the same stage of development, and go through exactly the same treatment. And yet one may live longer than the other. There is no real way of being exact about any prognosis when confronted by cancer of the prostate.

It should also be remembered that it is the decision of the patient to ask about their prognosis. Not everyone wants to know what their chances are or how long they might have when they are placed in this situation. It is important therefore to make sure your specialists and doctors know your wishes at all times.

Often it will depend on whether or not the cancer is operable. If it is then there is a good chance that it can be successfully removed and life can go back pretty much to normal, even if other treatment such as radiotherapy is offered. If the tumor is not operable however the patient might decide they do not want any information or idea of how long they may survive living with the cancer.

Your own prognosis will of course depend on how aggressive your particular type of prostate cancer is. It will also depend on various other factors and the results of tests that can tell the specialists more about your particular condition.

It is important to understand the difference between your prognosis and your treatment. Some people may assume that a good prognosis means lots of treatment can be offered, while a bad one means no treatment is worth trying. This is not true. Some treatments can still be given if the cancer cannot be cured or got rid of, in order to help manage the condition and reduce the amount of pain the patient may be feeling. Similarly if the condition is spotted very early on it might be decided that no treatment is needed at all initially.

Obviously a prognosis will depend largely on the type and development of the tumor. This is the most important factor to bear in mind. If the tumor is caught at the first stage of development the survival rates are exceptionally good. As the cancer progresses the rate of survival for perhaps five or ten years afterwards starts to reduce.

Compared to some other cancers the survival rates and prognosis for cancer of the prostate is actually very good. Remember that the grade and development of the cancer will directly affect any prognosis given. But remember too that no two people with prostate cancer will have the same experience, prognosis or development. It all depends on your individual case and health in general, as well as the cancer.

In short then, remember that it is your right to ask as many questions as possible about your cancer and your prognosis – no matter what the outlook might be.

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