ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of imaging in oncology. Tumours are classified according to organ of origin and histological type. Cancer staging describes a process whereby patients with a specific type of tumour are categorized, depending on tumour extent, into groups. Patients are generally categorized into four stages, although for many tumours some stages have subcategories. With continuing improvements in treatment regimes in oncology, accurate staging of cancer is increasingly important. Cancer staging is an increasingly complex process, based on numerous factors including anatomical extent of tumour and other prognostic factors. Most prostate cancers are adenocarcinomas. Tumours grow initially within the prostate. With continued growth tumour may invade through the prostate capsule into surrounding fat planes. Tumour may then invade local structures including seminal vesicles and bladder base. All of these factors are expressed in the ‘T’ component of TNM staging for prostate cancer.
