Stage 2 prostate cancer is a localized form of prostate cancer. This means it has not spread beyond the prostate. The outlook for those with stage 2 prostate cancer is positive.
This positive outlook is partly due to treatment, which may include radiation therapy and surgery.
This article takes a detailed look at stage 2 prostate cancer. After explaining how doctors define this condition, we examine the outlook.
It also details the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment for stage 2 prostate cancer. The article ends with some support options.
The
Doctors define these stages in terms of:
- tumor size and how far the cancer has spread
- prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels — a protein that healthy and cancerous prostate cells produce
- grade group, which measures how likely the cancer is to grow and spread
Stage 2 prostate cancer can mean the following:
| What it means | |
|---|---|
| Stage 2A | • Tumor (cT1): Doctors cannot feel the tumor with a rectal exam or see it with ultrasounds. • Spread (N0, M0): The cancer has not spread to nearby lymph nodes or other parts of the body. • Grade group: It has a score of 1 — the lowest score. • Blood PSA levels: These range from 10–19. |
| OR | |
| • Tumor (cT2a or pT2): There is a tumor in at most one-half of one side of the prostate. Doctors can feel this tumor with a rectal exam or see it with ultrasounds. Alternatively, doctors have surgically removed the prostate, which contains the whole tumor. • Spread (N0, M0): The cancer has not spread to nearby lymph nodes or other parts of the body. • Grade group: It has a score of 1. • Blood PSA levels: These range from 10–19. | |
| OR | |
| • Tumor (cT2b or cT2c): There is a tumor in more than one-half of one side of the prostate or on both sides of the prostate. Doctors can feel this tumor with a rectal exam or see it with ultrasounds. • Spread: The cancer has not spread to nearby lymph nodes or to other parts of the body. • Grade group: It has a score of 1. • Blood PSA levels: These are less than 20. | |
| Stage 2B | • Tumor (T1 or T2): There is a tumor that has not yet spread outside the prostate. Doctors may be able to feel this tumor with a rectal exam or see it with ultrasounds. • Spread (N0, M0): The cancer has not spread to nearby lymph nodes or other parts of the body. • Grade group: It has a score of 2. • Blood PSA levels: These are less than 20. |
| Stage 2C | • Tumor (T1 or T2): There is a tumor that has not yet spread outside the prostate. Doctors may be able to feel this tumor with a rectal exam or see it with ultrasounds. • Spread (N0, M0): The cancer has not spread to nearby lymph nodes or other parts of the body. • Grade group: It has a score of 3 or 4. • Blood PSA levels: These are less than 20. |
Scientists do not discuss survival rates in terms of the above staging system. Instead, they focus on whether a cancer has spread through lymph nodes to distant organs. If it has not spread in this way, the cancer is localized.
Stage 2 prostate cancer is a localized form of cancer.
The National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) notes that the 5-year relative survival rate for localized prostate cancer is
This means that a person with stage 2 prostate cancer is 100% as likely to live for another 5 years as someone without the condition.
Is it possible to live without undergoing treatment for stage 2 prostate cancer?
Although it is possible to survive for some time without treatment, stage 2 prostate cancer would continue to develop. Eventually, it would become a fatal condition.
There are many symptoms of prostate cancer. The United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS) lists these as follows:
- needing to urinate frequently or at night
- feeling an urgent need to urinate
- difficulty with starting urinating
- straining or taking a long time to urinate
- not urinating very much
- feeling that the bladder is not entirely empty, even after urination
- blood in the semen or urine
Prostate cancer can also remain asymptomatic for some time.
According to the
- a rectal exam or transrectal ultrasound scan to determine the size and exact location of prostate cancer tumors
- a prostate biopsy to determine whether someone has prostate cancer and which grade group it is in
- a blood test to determine PSA levels
Doctors may also need to use other imaging tests to check how far the cancer has spread. These include MRI scans, bone scans, and PET scans.
As the
- surgical removal of the whole prostate (radical prostatectomy)
- radiation, alongside hormone therapy
- hormone therapy
- watchful waiting, which simply means keeping an eye on how the cancer develops
An individual may receive multiple forms of prostate cancer treatment. For instance, doctors may recommend radiation therapy after surgery if tumor tissue is left behind or another tumor develops.
A prostate cancer diagnosis can be challenging. However, an individual can get support from friends, family, and loved ones. The
- a 24-hour helpline
- free transport to treatment
- free accommodation during treatment
A person can also find support and resources at the following organizations:
Stage 2 prostate cancer is a localized prostate cancer. This means it has not spread beyond the prostate into the nearby lymph nodes or organs far from the prostate.
Doctors stage this cancer with blood tests, biopsies, and imaging tests. They may also need to perform a rectal exam.
Treatment for stage 2 prostate cancer can involve surgery, radiation with hormone therapy, hormone therapy alone, and watchful waiting.
Although these procedures can be challenging, they contribute to an excellent outlook. The 5-year relative survival rate for stage 2 prostate cancer is