Choose treatment methods based on prostate cancer risk level

The prognostic risk of prostate cancer varies depending on the serum PSA level, Gleason score, and clinical stage. It can be divided into three different levels: low-risk prostate cancer, intermediate-risk prostate cancer, and high-risk prostate cancer. Depending on the degree of risk, the method of treating prostate cancer is also different.

1. Low-risk prostate cancer

Evaluation criteria: PSA ≤ 10ug/L; Gleason score ≤ 6 points; clinical stage ≤ T2a, early localized prostate cancer.

Treatment principles: For patients with low-risk prostate cancer, relatively conservative treatment methods are generally adopted. They can "watch and wait" or use minimally invasive treatment methods, such as focal cryotherapy.

Intermediate-risk prostate cancer

Evaluation criteria: PSA 10-20ug/L; Gleason score 7 points; clinical stage T2b; Gleason score 7 points; high degree of malignancy, difficult to be included in the early category.

Treatment principles: For the control of intermediate-risk localized prostate cancer, the commonly used methods currently include "open surgery", radiotherapy, cryotherapy, etc.

3. High-risk prostate cancer

Evaluation criteria: PSA＞20ug/L; Gleason score ≥8 points; clinical stage ≥T2c; Gleason score ≥8 points.

Treatment principles: Patients with high-risk localized prostate cancer have a high risk of tumor progression. When choosing "open surgery" or radiotherapy or cryotherapy, they often need to combine neoadjuvant chemotherapy or adjuvant "endocrine therapy" and other methods to effectively control the progression of the disease.