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Overview
Source: Prostate Cancer Treatment (PDQ®)–Health Professional Version, National Cancer Institute.
Source updated: May 14, 2025 · Captured 2026-09-09.
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Context: Treatment of Stage II Prostate Cancer
Stage II prostate cancer is defined by the American Joint Committee on Cancer's TNM (tumor, node, metastasis) classification system:[1]
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Stage IIA
cT1a–c, N0, M0, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) ≥10 <20 ng/mL, Gleason ≤6.
cT2a, N0, M0, PSA ≥10 <20 ng/mL, Gleason ≤6.
pT2, N0, M0, PSA ≥10 <20 ng/mL, Gleason ≤6.
cT2b–c, N0, M0, PSA <20 ng/mL, Gleason ≤6.
Stage IIB
T1–2, N0, M0, PSA <20 ng/mL, Gleason 7.
Stage IIC
T1–2, N0, M0, PSA <20, Gleason 7 or 8.
Radical prostatectomy, external-beam radiation therapy (EBRT), and interstitial implantation of radioisotopes are each employed in the treatment of stage II prostate cancer with apparently similar therapeutic effects. Radical prostatectomy and radiation therapy yield apparently similar survival rates with as many as 10 years of follow-up. For well-selected patients, radical prostatectomy is associated with a 15-year survival comparable with an age-matched population without prostate cancer.[2] Unfortunately, randomized comparative trials of these treatment methods with prolonged follow-up are lacking.
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Patients with a small, palpable cancer (T2a, N0, and M0) fare better than patients in whom the disease involves both sides of the gland (T2c, N0, and M0). Patients proven free of node metastases by pelvic lymphadenectomy fare better than patients in whom this staging procedure is not performed; however, this is the result of selection of patients who have a more favorable prognosis.
Side effects of the various forms of therapy—including impotence, incontinence, and bowel injury—should be considered in determining the type of treatment to employ.
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Preserved source evidence · Not medical advice