Understanding prostate cancer
Quick Facts
Prostate cancer is a leading cause of new cancer cases in men, affecting 1 in 8 American men.
Approximately
288,300
new cases of prostate cancer are expected to be diagnosed in the United States in 2023.
Quick Facts
Prostate cancer is the
2nd leading cause
of cancer-related death in men in the United States, but survival rates are improving as detection and treatment technology continues to advance.
Early detection
Treatment
3.1
million
prostate cancer survivors in the United States.
Quick Facts
Prostate cancer is a leading cause of new cancer cases in men, affecting 1 in 8 American men.
Approximately
288,300
new cases of prostate cancer are expected to be diagnosed in the United States in 2023.
Prostate cancer is the
2nd leading cause
of cancer-related death in men in the United States, but survival rates are improving as detection and treatment technology continues to advance.
Early
detection
Treatment
3.1
million
prostate cancer survivors
in the United States.
The information provided by a POSLUMA PET scan may help you and your doctor make more informed decisions about your treatment.
A Closer Look
Screening for prostate cancer is a decision made between you and your doctor after considering various factors, such as your age, family history, and other medical conditions. While there isn’t one standard test for screening, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing is common.
PSA is a substance made by the prostate that can be elevated in men with prostate cancer and detected in the blood
If your doctor suspects prostate cancer, that’s when a biopsy may be scheduled.
A biopsy is a procedure to remove a piece of tissue or sample of cells from your body so that it can be tested in a laboratory and confirm whether or not you have prostate cancer
Upon diagnosis, your doctor will take steps to develop a treatment plan that’s right for you.
Based on the information gathered on your disease, your treatment plan will detail the goals, expected length, and any other important considerations of the treatment selected by you and your doctor. Continue reading for more about how your doctor may gather information to help develop your treatment plan
Up to 40% to 50% of men diagnosed and treated for prostate cancer will have a recurrence within 10 years.
Recurrent prostate cancer means that your disease has come back after treatment
If you’ve been diagnosed with prostate cancer previously, one way your doctor monitors your health is with regular PSA testing. If your doctor suspects recurrence, an imaging scan may be necessary.
You can learn more about imaging scans in the next section
It’s vital to know where prostate cancer is located in your body so that you and your doctor can choose the most appropriate treatment plan. Imaging scans are often used to help your doctor determine the location of the cancer and whether it has metastasized.
Metastasized means that the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, including lymph nodes, bones, or other tissues
While multiple types of imaging scans can help provide important information about prostate cancer, they all have pros and cons.
| Common imaging scan overview |
|---|
| Prostate cancer detection |
|---|
| In bones | In soft tissue | When it’s very small |
When PSA levels are low† |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PET |  |
|
* |
|
| CT | |
 |
|
 |
| MRI | |
|
|
|
| Bone scan | |
N/A | N/A | |
| Prostate cancer detection |
|---|
| PET |
| In bones |
| In soft tissue |
| *When it’s very small |
| When PSA levels are low† |
| CT |
| In bones |
| In soft tissue |
| When it’s very small |
| When PSA levels are low† |
| MRI |
| In bones |
| In soft tissue |
| When it’s very small |
| When PSA levels are low† |
| Bone scan |
| In bones |
| N/AIn soft tissue |
| N/AWhen it’s very small |
| When PSA levels are low† |
| = yes |
= yes, with limitations |
= no |
N/A = not applicable |
| = yes |
= yes, with limitations |
| = no |
N/A = not applicable |
While PET scans have limitations in detecting microscopic metastases, they do detect smaller metastases than CT scans or MRIs.
PSA <2 ng/mL.
CT=computed tomography; MRI=magnetic resonance imaging;
PET=positron emission tomography; PSA=prostate-specific antigen.
Why PET scans matter
Because it provides your doctor with important information, a PET scan is often chosen to help develop a more informed treatment plan for prostate cancer. POSLUMA is an imaging agent for PET scans.
Understanding the information provided by different imaging scans can help you advocate for yourself, and talk to your doctor about which ones may be right for you.