Where Prostate Cancer Tends to Spread

According to the American Cancer Society, 569,490 people died from cancer in 2010, and nearly all of them experienced metastasis of their cancer to another area of the body.
Every cancer has tendencies in terms of where it spreads most often, and in the case of prostate cancer, some of the most common locations for the spread of the disease are:

• To other areas within the prostate gland
• Lymph nodes
• Bones
• Rectum
• Liver
• Lungs
• Bladder

When metastasis does occur, it most frequently takes place in the lymph nodes and bones. If prostate cancer spreads to the bones, the spinal column and femur are usually affected. Metastatic prostate cancer designates the disease has reached stage IV, which is the least favorable outcome for a cancer diagnosis. According to the American Joint Committee on Cancer, other possible destinations for prostate cancer metastasis are the external sphincter or rectum.

It is important to note that metastatic prostate cancer is diagnosed if it has spread to either distant or local lymph nodes. However, prostate cancer grows relatively slowly. Many men actually die with prostate cancer and not directly from the disease due to its sluggish progression. This particular cancer grows so slowly, in fact, that recommended treatment options can vary somewhat from those suggested for other cancers.

For instance, if the cancer hasn’t metastasized, chemotherapy may be ineffective. Chemotherapy targets rapidly dividing cells in the affected area and indiscriminately eliminates them from the body. Because prostate cancer cells typically don’t divide as quickly as other cancers, chemotherapy may prove unsuccessful. Instead, some doctors recommend an early-stage prostate cancer be carefully monitored for sudden changes.