[Clinical staging of prostate cancer]

Clinical staging of prostate cancer was reviewed on the basis of TNM classification edited by UICC in 1997. In this revision, (1) T1c was newly categorized among T1 for cases of high PSA level without any abnormal sign of DRE, (2) T2 was subdivided into T2a and T2b in accordance with unilateral or bilateral nodule in the prostate, respectively, (3) T3 was also subdivided into T3a with capsular invasion and T3b with seminal vesicle invasion. It is hoped that present classification will become useful tools for the detection of the tumor burden cancer patients.