Adapting treatment for prostate cancer according to risk of disease progression

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men worldwide and represents a major health problem. Although dramatic advances have been made in the treatment of prostate cancer in recent years, questions still remain concerning the optimal treatment strategy for both localized disease and metastatic disease. This lack of a standard treatment approach can be partly attributed to variations in the risk of disease progression among patients. As a consequence, several models have been developed to allow physicians to assess individual patients according to their likelihood of disease progression. In taking this approach, it is possible to identify those patients who may benefit from earlier, more aggressive therapy, thereby providing the greatest opportunity for prolonged survival. This article discusses current treatment options for localized and advanced prostate cancer, with a focus on how treatment can be optimized through consideration of a patient's risk of disease progression.