What it is?
Prostate cancer is a type of cancer that starts in the prostate gland. This cancer is one of the most common types in men, especially as they get older. Some prostate cancers grow very slowly and may not cause serious harm, while others can grow faster and spread to other parts of the body.
More than 95% of primary prostate cancers are adenocarcinomas. Prostate adenocarcinomas are frequently multifocal and heterogeneous in patterns of differentiation.
Several rare tumors account for the rest of the cases.
These include:
- Small-cell tumors: type of neuroendocrine tumor, aggressive, fast-growing and rare. Often it doesn’t produce PSA (prostate-specific antigen), making it harder to detect.
- Intralobular acinar carcinomas: rare and aggressive originating from acinar cells, confined to the lobules, with a high metastatic potential.
- Ductal carcinomas: rare, more aggressive subtype that begins in the ducts of the prostate gland.
- Clear cell carcinomas. very rare and aggressive is characterized by cells with clear, glycogen-rich cytoplasm, which gives them a distinctive "clear cell" appearance under a microscope.
- Mucinous carcinomas: rare type of prostate cancer characterized by the presence of large pools of extracellular mucin.
Main symptoms
In the early stages, prostate cancer often has no symptoms. As it grows, it may cause:
- Trouble urinating (starting or stopping)
- Weak or slow urine stream
- Pain or burning during urination
- Blood in urine or semen
- Pain in the back, hips, or bones
- Tiredness or weight loss without trying
Standard treatment
Treatment depends on how fast the cancer is growing, if it has spread, and the person’s overall health.
For low-risk cancer, doctors may recommend active surveillance—regular check-ups without immediate treatment.
For more serious cases, treatments can include:
- Surgery to remove the prostate
- Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays to kill cancer cells
- Hormone therapy that lowers male hormones to slow cancer growth.
- Chemotherapy used especially if the cancer has spread.
- Targeted drugs used especially if the cancer has spread. Uses special drugs that attack specific parts of cancer cells, responsible for the cancer growth or survival; sparing most healthy cells
Radiotheranostics
Radiotheranostics is a new type of treatment that combines therapy and diagnostics. It uses special radioactive substances that are injected in the patient, finds and destroys the cancer cells. For advanced prostate cancer, treatments like radium-223 or lutetium-177-PSMA help reduce pain, slow the cancer, and improve quality of life.
Radium-223 is indicated to patients that have metastasis only in the bones.
Lutetium-177-PSMA is a treatment combines a radioactive particle (lutetium-177) with a targeting molecule that seeks out the prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) receptors, which are often found on adenocarcinomas. Once bound, it delivers radiation directly to the cancer, helping shrink tumors and control symptoms while sparing most healthy tissue.
Your doctor can help you understand which treatment is right for you
To know more about:
Patient associations
Europe: ANAMACap (FRA), APCLP (FRA), CERHOM – Association Cancers de l’homme (FRA), Movember Europe (GBR), Prostate Cancer UK (GBR), The prostate cancer association PROPA (DNK), EuropaUomo (EU), Wij Ook (BEL)
North America: Malecare Cancer Support (USA), PCaAware (USA), PCaI-Prostate Cancer International (USA), Prostate Cancer Foundation (USA), Prostate Cancer Foundation Canada (CAD), The California Prostate Cancer Coalition (USA), Veterans Prostate Cancer Awareness (USA), YourProstateCancer.Help (USA), ZERO – The End of Prostate Cancer (USA)
Asia & Asia-Pacific: APC – Australian Prostate Centre (AUS), Prostate Cancer Foundation Australia (AUS), The Prostate Zone (AUS)
Worldwide:US-TOO!