Prostate Cancer: Symptoms, Staging, and Treatment

2. T2 and T3 Prostate Cancer

T2 and T3 prostate cancers are more serious that T1. In T2, the cancer is large enough for the doctor to feel during an exam. It may be seen on imaging, but it appears confined to the prostate. This stage is broken down further. In T2a, the tumor has invaded half or less than half of one side of the prostate. T2b is when the tumor has spread to more than half of one side of the prostate; in T2c, it has spread to both sides of the prostate.

In a patient with T3 prostate cancer, the tumor has spread outside of the prostate. In T3a, it has not spread to the seminal vesicles that contribute to sperm production; in T3b, it has.