Prostate Cancer
July 1, 2024
This page was reviewed under our medical and editorial policy by Wesley Yip, M.D., assistant professor, Division of Urology and Urologic Oncology, Department of Surgery, and Tanya Barauskas Dorff, M.D., professor, Department of Medical Oncology & Therapeutics Research, City of Hope® Cancer Center Duarte
Prostate cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers, accounting for about 15% of all cancer diagnoses. Approximately 299,010 men are expected to be diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2024. This disease occurs when cells within the patient's prostate gland mutate and grow abnormally.
The prostate, located below the bladder in men, creates a portion of the fluid involved with semen production.
When abnormal cells grow in the prostate gland, tumors may result. While some prostate tumors are benign (non-cancerous), others are malignant, meaning the cells are cancerous. Most prostate cancers are adenocarcinomas, but other types may occur as well.
After skin cancer, prostate cancer is the second-most common cancer among men in the United States and the most common cancer in men over 50.
About one out of eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in his lifetime.
Symptoms of prostate cancer may be minor in the early stages, and some patients have no symptoms at all. When symptoms do occur, they may include weak or interrupted urine flow and painful or burning sensations during urination.
Most prostate cancers are diagnosed as adenocarcinomas, but other types of cancer may develop in the prostate, including transitional cell carcinoma, neuroendocrine tumors and small cell carcinoma.
Precise prostate cancer tests are crucial for staging and treating the disease. Tests may include a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, a digital rectal exam (DRE), a biopsy and imaging exams.
Following a prostate cancer diagnosis, the care team will personally consult with you about your disease type, stage, treatment options and desired outcomes. Afterward, a multidisciplinary team of specialists will work together to discuss, design and deliver an individual treatment plan to meet those goals best.
City of Hope clinicians and researchers collaborate extensively to develop and evaluate new prostate cancer therapies for better survival and quality-of-life outcomes. Patients may have access to prostate cancer clinical trials, including new chemotherapy, targeted and hormone therapies, surgical techniques, radiation approaches, and prevention strategies.
City of Hope patients automatically gain access to an unparalleled array of support services to help you and your loved ones take each step during and after your prostate cancer diagnosis, including symptom and side effect management, intimacy concerns, continence challenges and navigating the health care system.
Our Prostate Cancer Expertise
City of Hope’s growing national system includes its Los Angeles/Duarte campus, a network of clinical care locations across Southern California, a cancer center in Orange County, California, and cancer treatment centers and outpatient facilities in the Atlanta, Chicago and Phoenix regions.
- Extensive robotic surgery experience
- Leading experts in da Vinci computer-enhanced, minimally invasive surgery
- The option of outpatient robotic surgery for prostate cancer
- Collaboration with precision medicine, such as genetic counseling and genomic testing
- Multidisciplinary care and coordination, including genetic evaluation
- mpMRI and fusion prostate biopsy to enhance tumor detection and personalize treatment plans
- Telehealth or in-person appointments scheduled within five to seven days
- A five-year survival rate close to 100% and superior outcomes for prostate cancer stages 1-4
- Clinical trials that aim to improve prostate cancer outcomes across the spectrum of the disease, from early to late stage
City of Hope provides every prostate cancer patient with access to a strong network of support services designed to help with needs like financial counseling and treatment side effect management.
Our developments in the areas of breakthrough cancer drugs, bone marrow transplants and CAR T cell therapy are recognized internationally.
Our leadership in research and innovation continually enhances our ability to provide novel and differentiated approaches to cancer care.
