Prostate cancer develops when abnormal cells in the prostate gland grow more quickly than in a normal prostate, forming a malignant tumour. Most prostate cancers grow slower than other types of cancer.
Early (or localised) prostate cancer means cancer cells have grown, but they have not spread beyond the prostate. Some prostate cancers may spread to other parts of the body, such as the bladder, bones and lymph nodes and this is called advanced prostate cancer.
Incidence
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in Australian men (apart from common skin cancers). There are about 4760 new cases in Victoria every year.
Research funded
Nearly $3.5 million has been given to fund research specifically into prostate cancer.
In addition, more than $16.2 million has been spent on research projects looking into the detection and treatment of all tumour types (including prostate).
Overall, Cancer Council Victoria has funded $69 million worth of
lab-based research in Victorian hospitals, universities and research
institutions since 2003.
More on external research funded per tumour type