Treatment Options by Stage
A link to a list of current clinical trials is included for each treatment section. For some types or stages of cancer, there may not be any trials listed. Check with your doctor for clinical trials that are not listed here but may be right for you.
Stage I Prostate Cancer
Understanding Prostate Cancer -- Symptoms
There are no warning signs or symptoms of early prostate cancer. Once a malignant tumor causes the prostate gland to swell significantly, or once cancer spreads beyond the prostate, the following symptoms may be present: A frequent need to urinate, especially at night Difficulty starting or stopping a stream of urine A weak or interrupted urinary stream Leaking of urine when laughing or coughing Inability to urinate standing up A painful or burning sensation during urination or...
Read the Understanding Prostate Cancer -- Symptoms article > >
Treatment of stage I prostate cancer may include the following:
- Watchful waiting.
- Radical prostatectomy, usually with pelviclymphadenectomy, with or without radiation therapy after surgery. It may be possible to remove the prostate without damaging nerves that are necessary for an erection.
- External-beam radiation therapy.
- Implant radiation therapy.
- A clinical trial of high-intensity focused ultrasound.
- A clinical trial testing new types of treatment.
Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's list of cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with stage I prostate cancer. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.
Stage II Prostate Cancer
Treatment of stage II prostate cancer may include the following:
- Watchful waiting.
- Radical prostatectomy, with or without pelvic lymphadenectomy. Radiation therapy may be given after surgery. It may be possible to remove the prostate without damaging nerves that are necessary for an erection.
- External-beam radiation therapy with or without hormone therapy.
- Implant radiation therapy.
- A clinical trial of radiation therapy with or without hormone therapy.
- A clinical trial of ultrasound-guided cryosurgery.
- A clinical trial of high-intensity focused ultrasound.
- A clinical trial of proton beam radiation therapy.
- Clinical trials testing new types of treatment, such as hormone therapy followed by radical prostatectomy.
Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's list of cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with stage II prostate cancer. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.
Stage III Prostate Cancer
Treatment of stage III prostate cancer may include the following:
- External-beam radiation therapy with or without hormone therapy.
- Hormone therapy.
- Radical prostatectomy, with or without pelvic lymphadenectomy. Radiation therapy may be given after surgery.
- Watchful waiting.
- Radiation therapy, hormone therapy, or transurethral resection of the prostate as palliative therapy to relieve symptoms caused by the cancer.
- A clinical trial of radiation therapy.
- A clinical trial of ultrasound-guided cryosurgery.
- A clinical trial testing new types of treatment.
Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's list of cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with stage III prostate cancer. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.
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