Prostate cancer symptoms: Early Symptoms Of Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer symptoms

The problem with trying to diagnose prostate cancer early is that the symptoms of early prostate cancer are similar to those caused by benign (non-cancerous) prostate enlargement known as Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy or BPH. In fact BPH often causes more symptoms than prostate cancer and is very common in men as they get older. Many men diagnosed with prostate cancer will also have BPH. However many men who have BPH will not have prostate cancer at all.

These early prostate cancer symptoms are mainly due to obstruction of the flow of urine out of the bladder. As the prostate enlarges it makes the tube running from the bladder which carries urine out of the body narrow. This can make it difficult to pee normally.

1. Hesitancy – difficulty with starting to pee
2. Weak Stream – the stream or flow of urine is not as fast and hard as it used to be
3. Straining – you need to push the urine out
4. Prolonged Urination – it takes you longer to pee even small amounts
5. Feeling of Incomplete Emptying – the bladder still feels like there is some urine left in it after you have just emptied it.
6. Urinary Retention – the inability to empty the bladder at all

Other Symptoms are due to irritation of the bladder by the enlarged prostate. Again these symptoms are the same for BPH as they are for prostate cancer.

1. Urgency – when you need to go, you need to go now, it’s difficult to hold on
2. Frequency – you need to pee more often
3. Nocturia – you need to get up in the night to pee
4. Urge Incontinence – where you suddenly need to pee and can’t hold on so you have an accident if you can’t get to a toilet in time

If you have any of these symptoms it is worth going to see your GP to talk about them. Firstly there are many treatments that can help with the symptoms plus the doctor can check that they are due to BPH and not to prostate cancer which could need urgent treatment. If you have these symptoms the doctor may want you to have a PSA blood test or a DRE.

IMPORTANT ADVANCED PROSTATE CANCER SYMPTOMS

When prostate cancer has spread outside of the prostate gland it can give symptoms from the areas it has spread to. Sometimes these are the first indication that something is wrong and the cancer is diagnosed late. They can also occur whilst a patient is being followed up (seen in clinic regularly) following treatment for prostate cancer and indicate that the cancer has progressed despite any treatment.

Where cancer invades locally around the prostate gland it can affect the nerves which supply the penis. This can lead to problems getting and sustaining an erection. It could also cause painful ejaculation or blood in the semen. There are many other causes of problems with erections (erectile dysfunction) and you should speak to you doctor about any concerns you have. There are many effective treatments available for this or it may be a sign of something more serious which needs investigating further.

Locally advanced prostate cancer can also cause pain in the pelvis or sometimes felt around the anus (back passage). This pain may be quite severe and is often persistent. Most often men would require strong pain killers from the doctor for this type of pain.

The most common site of secondary spread is the bones. This is usually felt as pain which is persistent and felt in the same place in the bones for a period of time. Sometimes this pain stops you from sleeping properly or affects the way in which you can move around and get on with daily life. There may be just one site or several bones affected at the same time.

The cancer in the bones will also cause them to be more brittle and easier to break or fracture with even minor injuries. If one of the bones in the spine collapses from being affected by cancer it can cause pressure on the spinal cord. This is the bit of the body which sends messages from the brain to the arms and legs to tell them to move and carries messages back about sensation and temperature. If the spinal cord is squashed it can cause numbness in the arms or legs and difficulty moving them. It may also affect the way you open your bowels or urinate, and is often associated with pain in the back. Cancer secondaries in the bones may also cause a high calcium level in the blood which can make you feel nauseous, sleepy, confused, constipated and have abdominal pains.

Remember there are many reasons why (especially elderly) men can get aches and pains in their bones (arthritis etc) but if you are worried you should tell you doctor. They may be able to reassure you or may want to arrange for you to have a bone scan (see earlier). This obviously helps to assess what form of treatment would be most appropriate.

When cancer is more advanced it may start to cause weight loss and a general deterioration in health. If it has spread beyond the bones to other areas of the body it could cause symptoms there e.g. cause breathlessness if spread to the lungs, cause headaches if spread to the brain.

Prostate cancer symptoms: How You Know it?

Prostate cancer symptoms

Many men do not seek medical advice when the symptoms are present, partly because they are very similar to those of another disease: BPH or benign prostatic hypertrophy. Prostate cancer can also be present for years without causing any symptoms and is often not detected until it is in an advanced stage. In this article about prostate cancer symptoms, prostate treatment, radiation and more, we aim to introduce you to prostate cancer so that you have an outline of important information if you ever find yourself, or someone you love facing a similar situation.

The existing symptoms of prostate problems may or may not signal cancer including necessity to urinate very often, painful and burning urination, bloody urine, lower back pain or pain in the pelvis or upper thighs, dribbling after urination, blood in semen, weak urine flow, difficulty in starting urination, painful or burning urination, sensation of incomplete emptying of the bladder, stopping and starting urination along with not being able to urinate, painful ejaculation, blood cells in the semen or urine, as well as frequent pain and cramps in the lower back, hips and upper thighs.

In the early stages, prostate cancer has few symptoms and many of the symptoms associated with this disease are also found in other less serious illnesses. Symptoms only set in once the tumor spreads.

The patients receive no active treatment unless symptoms appear. At the outset, there are no clear prostate cancer symptoms that patients can be easily noticed. Catching prostate cancer early is the best way for a man to increase their chances of survival and that involves knowing the symptoms and seeing a doctor regularly. These symptoms can also be from an enlarged prostate which is not life threatening. Chronic (bacterial) prostatitis, which develops gradually and may only have subtle symptoms, though it often continues for a prolonged period.

Other symptoms for prostate health concerns include urgent needs to urinate, the need to wake up several times a night to do this or dribbling of urine after and even before urinating.

One of the most common symptoms listed above is the difficulty starting to pass urine, but keep your eye out for the others. Men with this prostate problem who do experience symptoms are likely to notice difficulty in starting urination, frequent urination as well as an increased frequency in awakening at night to urinate. It is advisable that men experiencing these symptoms should consult their physician for an accurate diagnosis.

Prostate cancer symptoms: How Do You Recognize The Symptoms Of Prostate Problems?

Prostate cancer symptoms

It may appear strange but for many years men knew very little about their prostate gland and it is only in the past few years as prostate cancer has gained in prominence that men are beginning to ask just what the prostate gland is and what it does.

The prostate gland is an important component of the male reproductive system which produces a clear liquid which makes up a substantial portion of a man's seminal fluid. Sperm is taken from the testes to the prostate gland where it is mixed with proteins and prostatic fluid to form semen.

A normal prostate gland is about the size of a walnut, weighs approximately one ounce and sits just below the bladder and in front of the rectum. It is also frequently described as being donut shaped and is partially wrapped around the urethra, which carrying urine from the bladder and out of the body.

The prostate gland grows throughout a man's life, although from about the age of twenty until the mid-forties this growth is extremely slow and is almost undetectable. Once a man reaches approximately forty-five however it is normal for the growth of the prostate gland to speed up and the vast majority of men will start to experience the symptoms of an enlarged prostate during their forties or fifties.

In many cases an enlarged prostate leads to little more than some mild discomfort which a lot of men simply learn to live with. In some instances however the prostate may become sufficiently enlarged so that it restricts the urethra enough to cause a variety of symptoms which need treatment or persuade a man to seek treatment to relieve his discomfort. Growth of the prostate gland at this point in a man's life is a normal part of the aging process and is known as benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BHP.

In all cases however the greatest problem with an enlarged prostate gland is that this might be something more than a simple case of enlargement and may be masking the growth of an underlying cancer.

When the prostate gland begins to grow it also begins to press on the urethra and to narrow it so that the first signs and symptoms of a problem are often seen when it comes to urinating. Specifically you may experience difficulty in passing water and need to 'push' in order to start the process. You might also suffer from a weak urine flow and a flow which has a tendency to stop and start. As time goes on you will also find that you have to visit the bathroom more often, particularly at night, and that you feel that you have to visit the bathroom even just after you have just done so.

Not surprisingly this could become something of a an irritation to say the least but but, all the same, a lot of men are content to simply put it down as one of the inevitable problems of aging and learn to live with it. The is nothing wrong with this of course but the mistake which far too man men make is not to seek the advice of their doctor at this stage to confirm that their problem is merely BPH and that it is unlikely to lead to other problems.

Aside from the obvious risk of the possibility of an underlying cancer present, BPH can also cause other problems like kidney disease or bladder infection.

Should you begin to encounter signs and symptoms which suggest a prostate problem then visit your doctor so that the problem can be properly diagnosed.