Cancer Pathway
Prostate cancer is common and often grows slowly, so there is usually time to understand the results and choose carefully. This guide explains the steps, one stage at a time.
Written for patients and reviewed by Dr. Anshuman Singh, Uro-Oncologist, on 7 October 2026.
Start here
The prostate is a small gland below the bladder that makes part of the fluid in semen. Prostate cancer starts when cells in the gland grow in an uncontrolled way.
Many prostate cancers grow slowly and may never cause harm in a man’s lifetime. Others grow faster and need treatment. The aim of the tests below is to tell these apart, so that you are neither under-treated nor treated more than you need.
Step 1
Treatment is chosen only after these results are put together.
Step 2
Choose your stage and a few details. The page then shows what it means, the options, what to take into account and what to ask, with a checklist you can download.
Living with treatment
These depend on the treatment chosen. Most can be reduced or managed, so ask about them before you decide.
After treatment
Common questions
No. PSA also rises with infection, benign enlargement, recent catheter use or ejaculation. A high PSA is a reason for further tests such as an MRI, not a diagnosis by itself.
Not always. For many low-risk cancers, active surveillance is a safe first step. For higher-risk cancers, treatment should not be delayed for long, but there is usually time to get a second opinion and plan carefully.
For many men with early cancer, both control the cancer similarly. They differ in side effects and in what is possible if the cancer returns, so the better choice depends on your health, your symptoms today and your priorities.
Some men have urine leakage or erection problems after treatment, and many recover over months. The chance depends on your age, the stage, the treatment, and the surgeon’s or radiotherapist’s technique. Ask for the expected figures for your own case.
Once it has spread to bones or distant organs, cure is unlikely, but it can often be controlled for years with hormone treatment and newer medicines, with a good quality of life.
Men with a father or brother with prostate cancer have a higher risk and can discuss PSA testing from about 40 to 45 years of age. If BRCA or similar changes are found, the whole family can be advised.
This guide is general information and does not replace a medical opinion. An unhurried one-to-one discussion with Dr. Anshuman Singh, with your family welcome, so that you understand every option before you decide. Bring your reports and scans to a consultation with Dr. Anshuman Singh, in the clinic or by teleconsultation.