Prostate cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in men. It led to almost 220,000 new cancer diagnoses and over 32,000 deaths in the United States in 2009, reports the National Cancer Institute. Prostate cancer development involves abnormal cell growth in the prostate gland, a part of the male reproductive system located anterior to the bladder and colon. Many patients with prostate cancer experience remission following cancer therapy, but prostate cancer recurrence in the months or years after treatment.
Local Recurrence
Local prostate cancer recurrence occurs when the cancer begins to grow at the site of the original tumor. Patients who have received radiation treatment for their prostate cancer may develop cancerous growths on any remaining prostate tissue, while patients who have undergone a partial or complete prostate removal surgery may develop new cancer growths at the surgical site. Patients who develop local prostate cancer recurrence have a number of treatment options: they may undergo a more severe prostate-removal surgery to remove new cancerous tissue, or may undergo additional radiation to damage new cancer growth, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Regional Recurrence
In some cases, prostate cancer recurrence may occur within other tissues surrounding the prostate. This is called regional recurrence. Cancer recurrence in this case may develop within the lymph nodes--small structures, connected by lymph vessels, which make up a part of the immune system--surrounding the prostate. Patients with regional prostate cancer recurrence may develop pelvic or abdominal pain, as the cancer growth causes lymph node enlargement that can place pressure on surrounding tissues and nerves. If left undetected, regional recurrence can spread quickly, as the lymph vessels connecting lymph nodes extend throughout the body.
Distant Recurrence
Distant recurrence describes prostate cancer that develops in distant organs after treatment. This recurrence may develop from other forms of cancer recurrence. Regional recurrence, for example, could develop into distant recurrence if cancer cells travel throughout the body in the lymph vessels and form tumors in distant organs. Distant recurrence may also occur if cancer cells migrated from the original prostate tumor during initial cancer development, and were not removed by initial cancer therapies. Prostate cancer patients with distant recurrence often experience symptoms in bone tissue, since bones are the most common site of metastasis, according to the Prostate Cancer Treatment Guide. Patients with distant prostate cancer recurrence may develop joint pain, a decrease in bone density in specific regions of bone tissue, and may experience bone fractures. Cancer therapies to remove prostate cancer growth of specific regions of bone can help slow cancer development and increase the patient's quality of life.
