Low-risk patients (defined by D’Amico criteria and National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines) are unlikely to have metastatic disease. Accordingly, imaging is generally unnecessary in patients with newly diagnosed prostate cancer who have a PSA <20.0 ng/mL and a Gleason score 6 or less unless the patient’s history or clinical examination suggests distant disease. Metastases are much more likely in high-grade disease that is characterized by fast and aggressive growth into surrounding areas such as bones or lymph nodes.
Sources:
American Urological Association. Prostate-Specific Antigen Best Practice Statement [Internet]. Linthicum (MD): AUA; 2013 [cited 2017 May 5].
National Comprehensive Cancer Network. NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology [Internet]. 2017 [cited 2017 May 5].
Related Resources:
Patient Pamphlet: Low-Risk Prostate Cancer: Don’t rush to get treatment