Stage I Prostate Cancer
Stage 1 prostate cancer is the earliest and least advanced stage of the disease. At this stage, the cancer is usually small and slow-growing. It remains completely confined within the prostate gland. It often causes no noticeable symptoms. Doctors may discover it during routine screenings or tests for other health conditions.
Stage 1 prostate cancer has a 5-year survival rate of nearly 100%.
Stage cT1, N0, M0 Prostate Cancer Overview
Doctors classify prostate cancer in this stage as Grade Group 1, with a Gleason score of 6 or lower, indicating a low-grade tumor. The PSA level stays under 10 ng/mL, suggesting limited cancer activity.
Doctors cannot feel the tumor during a physical exam. They also cannot see it on a transrectal ultrasound. They often discover it by chance during a transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) for another condition. Sometimes, they find it through a needle biopsy after detecting elevated PSA levels. Doctors call this clinical stage T1 (cT1).
At this point, the cancer has not spread to nearby lymph nodes (N0) or to any other part of the body (M0), making it a localized and highly treatable form of prostate cancer.
Stage cT2a, N0, M0 Prostate Cancer Overview
Doctors consider the prostate cancer low-risk at this stage. It falls under Grade Group 1 with a Gleason score of 6 or less. The PSA level remains below 10 ng/mL.
Unlike earlier stages, the tumor in this case can be detected either by a digital rectal exam (DRE) or seen on imaging such as a transrectal ultrasound. It is limited to one half or less of one side of the prostate—either the left or the right—classified as cT2a.
The cancer has not spread to nearby lymph nodes (N0) or other areas of the body (M0), making it localized and still very treatable.
Stage pT2, N0, M0 Prostate Cancer Overview
Surgeons confirmed the cancer during surgery by removing the entire prostate. They found the tumor completely contained within the prostate gland, classifying it as pT2.
Doctors categorize the cancer as Grade Group 1, with a Gleason score of 6 or less, showing it is low-grade and less aggressive. The PSA level is under 10 ng/mL, further suggesting a favorable prognosis.
Importantly, the cancer has not spread to nearby lymph nodes (N0) or to any other part of the body (M0), making it a localized and potentially curable form of prostate cancer.