Prostate cancer begins in the prostate gland, a small walnut shaped organ that produces seminal fluid. It is one of the most common cancers in men, often growing slowly, and when detected early, it is highly treatable with excellent long term outcomes.
Globally, prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men, with over 1.4 million new cases diagnosed annually. Many cases are asymptomatic in early stages, but timely intervention can still open a window for curative outcomes — so prompt medical evaluation, especially for those at risk, is crucial.
China sees approximately 150,000 new cases of prostate cancer each year, with incidence rising rapidly due to aging and improved screening. At Fosun Health, this growing case volume gives our expert teams a depth of experience that ensures precision in every aspect of care — from accurate early diagnosis and risk stratification to robotic assisted surgery, advanced radiotherapy, and individualized systemic therapy.
Prostate cancer often grows silently for years. Early stages usually cause no pain. Do not dismiss changes in urination as “just getting older.” If you notice any of the following for more than two weeks—especially if you are over 50, have a family history of prostate or breast cancer, or carry BRCA mutations—seek expert evaluation immediately:
Symptom | What to Watch For |
Urinary Changes | Weak or interrupted urine stream, needing to strain to start, dribbling at the end, or feeling the bladder never empties fully. |
Frequent Urination | Needing to urinate much more often than usual, especially at night (nocturia). |
Blood in Urine or Semen | Pink, red, or brown urine or semen, without infection signs. |
Erectile Dysfunction | New-onset difficulty achieving or maintaining an erection not explained by other causes. |
Pelvic or Bone Pain | Persistent dull ache in the lower back, hips, or pelvis—can indicate advanced disease with bone metastases. |
Systemic Signs | Unexplained weight loss, fatigue, or leg swelling in advanced stages. |
If you are over 50 (or over 45 for African Americans or those with family history), have a father or brother with prostate cancer, carry BRCA1/2 or HOXB13 mutations, or have Lynch syndrome—annual PSA blood test and digital rectal exam can detect tumors when they are still confined to the prostate and highly curable.
At Fosun Health, prostate cancer diagnosis is not just about “finding cancer”—it is about distinguishing aggressive tumors from indolent ones, mapping the cancer’s exact location, and designing a plan that preserves your urinary control and sexual function. Our streamlined pathway delivers answers within days:
We measure total and free PSA, along with PSA density and velocity. For borderline results, we use PHI (Prostate Health Index) or 4Kscore to improve specificity and reduce unnecessary biopsies.
- Multi-Parametric MRI (mpMRI): The gold standard for prostate imaging. It reveals tumor location, size, extracapsular extension, and seminal vesicle invasion—critical for staging and biopsy planning. PI-RADS score guides clinical decision-making.
- PSMA PET-CT / PSMA PET-CT: Detects lymph node and distant metastases with exceptional accuracy—essential for high-risk patients and recurrence detection.
- MRI-Targeted Fusion Biopsy: We fuse mpMRI images with real-time ultrasound to sample only suspicious areas, reducing the detection of insignificant cancers and avoiding unnecessary diagnosis of indolent disease. Transperineal approach lowers infection risk.
- Systematic Biopsy: Performed alongside targeted biopsy for a complete assessment.
- PSMA PET-CT: Replaces conventional CT and bone scan for accurate staging.
- Bone Scan (if PSMA not available): Detects skeletal metastases.
Using NGS (Next-Generation Sequencing), we analyze androgen receptor (AR) mutations, BRCA1/2, ATM, PALB2, MSI/dMMR, TMB, NTRK fusions, and over 300 cancer-related genes. This determines whether your tumor will respond to PARP inhibitors (for BRCA mutations), immunotherapy (for MSI-H/dMMR), or targeted therapies—and guides prognosis. For patients considering active surveillance, genomic classifiers (Decipher, Oncotype DX GPS) help predict tumor aggressiveness, ensuring you are not over-treated or under-treated.
Every prostate cancer program has surgery, radiation, and hormones. Here is what makes ours different:
"If I have the surgery, will I be incontinent? Will I ever be intimate with my partner again?"
The challenge: For men with prostate cancer, this fear outweighs even the fear of death itself. The prostate sits millimeters from the external urethral sphincter (the muscle that controls urine flow) and the neurovascular bundles (the nerves and vessels that enable erections). Traditional open surgery damages these structures in a substantial proportion of patients—leaving them dependent on pads and medications for the rest of their lives.
Our answer: Robotic nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy that treats the cancer without taking your manhood:
- Da Vinci Robot: "3D Eyes and Tremor-Free Hands" : The robot provides 10–15× magnified 3D vision and 540° wristed instruments that operate in the narrow, confined space deep in the pelvis. The surgeon can see the neurovascular bundles and urethral sphincter in sub-millimeter detail—preserving them with precision impossible in open surgery.
- Bilateral Nerve-Sparing Technique: For appropriately selected patients, we meticulously dissect the prostate away from both neurovascular bundles—maximizing the chance of erectile function recovery without compromising cancer control.
- Urethral Sphincter Preservation: By preserving maximum urethral length and avoiding thermal injury near the sphincter, continence rates exceed 90% in experienced hands—most men are pad-free within weeks to months.
- Retzius-Sparing (Posterior) Approach: For select patients, this novel robotic approach further accelerates continence recovery—many men are dry immediately after catheter removal.
What this means for you: You do not have to choose between curing the cancer and remaining the man you are. With robotic precision, we remove the cancer while protecting the nerves and muscles that matter most.
"I do not want surgery at all. Is there a way to destroy the cancer while keeping my prostate—and my function—completely intact?"
The challenge: Many men are simply not candidates for surgery due to age, comorbidities, or personal preference. Others want to avoid any risk of incontinence or erectile dysfunction. External-beam radiation can work, but conventional protocols require 7–8 weeks of daily treatment—and the radiation margin often damages the bladder, rectum, and sphincter.
Our answer: CyberKnife M6 stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) with prostate-specific precision:
- 5 Sessions, Not 40: CyberKnife delivers ablative radiation doses in just 1–5 sessions (each under 1 hour), compared to 7–8 weeks of daily conventional radiation. You are done in days, not months.
- 0.1mm Precision with Sphincter Protection: The CyberKnife's real-time tracking follows the prostate's subtle motion and converges radiation from thousands of angles. The urethral sphincter, neurovascular bundles, bladder neck, and rectal wall receive near-zero radiation dose. This is what makes CyberKnife uniquely suited for prostate cancer.
- International 25-Year Track Record: CyberKnife has treated prostate cancer for over a quarter-century with published long-term data showing cancer control rates equivalent to surgery, with lower rates of severe incontinence and rectal toxicity than conventional radiation.
- Iodine-125 Seed Implantation (Brachytherapy): For select low-risk patients, we also offer permanent seed brachytherapy—implanting tiny radioactive seeds directly into the prostate under image guidance. One procedure, continuous internal radiation over months, minimal impact on surrounding organs.
What this means for you: If surgery is not your path, CyberKnife offers a genuine curative alternative—non-invasive, completed in a handful of sessions, with long-term cancer control and functional preservation that rivals or exceeds conventional radiation.
"My PSA is rising after treatment, and the bone scan shows spots. Is this the beginning of the end?"
The challenge: Biochemical recurrence (rising PSA after surgery or radiation) and oligometastatic bone disease are terrifying milestones. Many men are told "watch and wait" until widespread metastases develop—or are put on lifelong hormonal therapy with debilitating side effects (hot flashes, osteoporosis, muscle loss, metabolic syndrome, loss of libido).
Our answer: Early, aggressive, multi-modal salvage therapy that treats recurrence and metastases before they multiply:
- Oligometastatic Radiosurgery: For 1–5 bone metastases, CyberKnife M6 delivers 0.1mm precision ablation—destroying the lesions without a single incision, preserving bone strength, and preventing pathological fractures. For bone pain, cryoablation naturally numbs pain fibers while destroying the tumor.
- Iodine-125 Seeds for Bone Lesions: For painful vertebral or pelvic metastases, radioactive seeds implanted directly into the bone deliver continuous local radiation—controlling pain and preventing fracture.
- Pelvic Salvage for Local Recurrence: For local recurrence after radiation, salvage cryoablation or high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) destroys recurrent tissue through the perineum—no repeat radiation, no open surgery.
- Tumor Hyperthermia for Radiosensitization: For widespread bone metastases receiving palliative radiation, regional hyperthermia to 40–43°C makes cancer cells more vulnerable to the same radiation dose—improving pain control and local tumor destruction without increasing toxicity.
- Metastasis-Directed Therapy (MDT): Rather than immediately plunging into lifelong hormonal suppression, our approach targets visible metastases aggressively while sparing you from premature androgen deprivation side effects.
What this means for you: A rising PSA or a few bone spots does not mean inevitable progression. We attack recurrence and metastases early and precisely—buying you years of quality life before systemic therapy becomes necessary.
"I have been on hormone therapy for years, and now my PSA is rising again. They say it is castration-resistant. What is left for me?"
The challenge: Metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) is where the disease becomes truly lethal. When first-line androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) and antiandrogens fail, the landscape can feel barren. Next-generation hormonal agents, PARP inhibitors, and PSMA-targeted radioligand therapies exist—but in many regions they are unavailable, unaffordable, or approved years later.
Our answer: In China, the next line is mapped to your tumor's genetics—and it is accessible at a fraction of the cost:
- Next-Generation Hormonal Agents: Abiraterone, enzalutamide, darolutamide, and apalutamide are all approved and in routine use in China—for both metastatic hormone-sensitive and castration-resistant disease. These extend survival by years, not months.
- PARP Inhibitors: For BRCA1/2 or ATM-mutated mCRPC, olaparib and rucaparib are approved—targeting the DNA repair defect with precision.
- Lutetium-177 PSMA Radioligand Therapy: For PSMA-positive mCRPC after multiple lines, this novel therapy delivers targeted radiation directly to prostate cancer cells wherever they are in the body—bone, lymph nodes, or viscera. Tumor destruction with minimal damage to healthy tissue.
- Immunotherapy: For MSI-H/dMMR prostate cancers, PD-1 inhibitors can induce deep responses.
- Phase III Clinical Trial Fast-Track: When standard options are exhausted, rapid access to trials of next-generation androgen receptor degraders, novel PSMA-targeted agents, and combination immunotherapy—typically 3–5 years ahead of availability elsewhere.
Because these therapies are developed and manufactured within China's ecosystem, comprehensive treatment costs are 30%–50% of what you would pay in Europe or the US—with zero compromise in quality.
Guided by NGS-based BRCA/ATM/MSI testing and physicians who have sequenced thousands of prostate cancer cases through multiple lines of resistance.
What this means for you: "Castration-resistant" is a stage, not a sentence. Your BRCA, PSMA, or androgen receptor status opens a direct path to drugs that are available here, now—at a cost that makes long-term, multi-line treatment sustainable.
When standard therapies reach their limit, we provide rapid access to China's full portfolio of Phase III clinical trials—therapies typically 3–5 years ahead of availability elsewhere. NGS-based molecular matching identifies trials targeting your specific mutation (BRCA, ATM, MSI, PSMA). Every enrollment is ethics-approved with full medical supervision.
Our TCM program runs alongside your primary treatment as a "vitality and hormonal balance optimizer":
Toxicity Reduction: Herbal formulations help mitigate hot flashes and night sweats from androgen deprivation, protect bone density, reduce chemotherapy-induced fatigue and neuropathy, and support urinary function.
Efficacy Enhancement: Selected preparations may improve tumor sensitivity to hormonal agents or chemotherapy.
Acupuncture provides additional support for hot flashes, urinary urgency, fatigue, and treatment-related anxiety. The goal: reduce treatment burden, protect your energy and quality of life, and keep you strong enough to complete every planned cycle.
Every prostate cancer case is reviewed by a panel comprising urologic oncology surgery, radiation oncology, medical oncology, interventional radiology, nuclear medicine (for PSMA imaging and Lutetium therapy), radiology, and pathology specialists. Prostate cancer decisions are uniquely complex: active surveillance versus immediate treatment; nerve-sparing robotic surgery versus CyberKnife SBRT versus seed brachytherapy; sequencing of hormonal agents through lines of resistance; and precision selection for PARP inhibitors or PSMA radioligand therapy.
The MDT convenes within 48 hours of complete documentation. Your plan is a consensus decision optimized for your cancer stage, Gleason score, PSA level, molecular profile, age, comorbidities, and your priorities.
Upload your PSA levels, mpMRI images, biopsy pathology report, PSMA PET-CT, and NGS results (BRCA, AR, MSI). Our multidisciplinary prostate cancer team will provide a personalized treatment plan—including potency and continence preservation assessment and interventional downstaging strategy—within 48 hours.
