Diagnosing prostate cancer

Dr. Howard Adler, medical director of the prostate care program at Stony Brook University Medical Center, said early-stage prostate cancer is treatable and curable.

A patient's long-term prognosis, Adler said, is based on the results of several key tests. About 90 percent of prostate cancers are caught in an early stage.

This is how doctors diagnose the cancer and predict outcome:

1. Blood screening for levels of prostate specific antigen. Elevated levels can mean cancer, but not always.

2. Digital rectal examination for presence of an abnormality.

3. Biopsy -- tissue sampling of the abnormality. The pathologist examines the tissue under the microscope and assigns a Gleason score, ranging from two to 10. A low score means an early, non-aggressive cancer.

Surgery or radiation therapy are common treatments. For patients 70 or older with slower-growing cancers, doctors often recommend "watchful waiting."