What should you know about ESMO prostate cancer?

The prostate sits below the bladder and surrounds part of the urine passage. Prostate cancer may cause no symptoms early on. Difficulty passing urine, a weak stream, blood in urine or semen, and discomfort can have several causes, including non-cancerous prostate enlargement or infection. Tests may include a prostate examination, blood testing, scans and a biopsy; these findings help show how active the tumour appears and whether it has spread.

Discuss whether monitoring, surgery or radiotherapy fits the cancer’s features and your preferences. Brachytherapy places radiation sources inside or close to the prostate, while external radiotherapy treats the area from outside the body. Prostate removal surgery may be performed through open or minimally invasive methods, including robotic cancer surgery. If disease affects bones, bone-strengthening therapy or targeted radioisotope therapy may be considered in selected situations.

Seek urgent care if you cannot pass urine, develop severe back or bone pain with leg weakness, lose bladder or bowel control, or experience sudden confusion or collapse. Contact the clinical team promptly for blood in urine, fever, worsening urinary difficulty or new pain. These symptoms need assessment because infection, obstruction or spread can require timely treatment.

What do my biopsy and scans show? Is monitoring reasonable, or should treatment begin now? How might surgery, radiotherapy or brachytherapy affect urinary, bowel and sexual function? Are bone or radioisotope treatments relevant to me?