Leg Pain With Prostate Cancer

When Should I See My Doctor

What are the Symptoms of Prostate Cancer?

See your doctor if you notice any unusual or ongoing changes in your toilet habits . Most often, these wont mean you have cancer, but finding cancer early improves the odds of treating it successfully.

If you dont have any symptoms but are concerned about your risk, your doctor can also explain the risks and benefits of prostate cancer screening, such as having a PSA test.

What Causes Prostate Cancer

While experts dont fully know all the causes, a factor that increases your risk is obesity, which also increases the risk of aggressive prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer becomes more common with age. It is also more common if a close relative was diagnosed with prostate cancer before 65 years of age.

Your ethnicity also affects your risk of getting prostate cancer. Men of Caucasian heritage are more likely to develop prostate cancer than Asian men, while men of African background experience the highest rates of death from prostate cancer.

In 1% to 2% of cases, men inherit genes that increase the risk of developing prostate cancer. These are the genes that can also cause women to have an increased risk of breast or ovarian cancer.

The Initial Causes Leg Pain And Prostate Cancer

One of the first symptoms of prostate issues is pain or tenderness in the groin or lower back. This can be the result of a noncancerous condition called enlarged prostatic tissue, or it could be an infection of the bladder. In either case, its important to see a doctor as soon as possible. If youre suffering from prostate pain, you may want to consider reducing your caffeine intake.

Another symptom of a potentially enlarged prostate is difficulty starting a stream of urine, leaking, or dribbling. These symptoms are not serious, but theyre still alarming. Most men put up with an enlarged prostate for years before seeking medical attention, but they typically seek treatment as soon as they notice symptoms. Even if you dont have symptoms, its worth getting checked to determine if you have any prostate issues.

If you experience nightly bathroom runs, you may be experiencing an enlarged prostate. You may be having difficulty starting a stream of urine, or you may even be dribbling or leaking during the day. These problems arent life-threatening, but can become a nuisance. You should not ignore these signs and seek treatment as soon as you notice them. If you feel any of these symptoms, you should consult a doctor.

Living With Prostate Cancer

Receiving a diagnosis of prostate cancer can be alarming studies show that the risk of suicide and cardiovascular disease goes up in the week after someone is told they have prostate cancer.

If you feel anxious, frustrated or upset about how prostate cancer may be affecting your life, talk with your doctor, partner or friend and get support.

Swelling In Your Legs And Feet

Bilateral thigh pain after treatment for prostate cancer

According to Johns Hopkins University, swelling in your lower extremities could be a symptom of advanced prostate cancer, especially when it occurs alongside other symptoms, including “urinary or erectile dysfunction.” When the cancer spreads to the lymph nodes, it causes a blockage, which leads to the build-up of fluids and swelling in your body. And for more on serious cancer symptoms you need to know about, check out 13 Warning Signs Your Pancreas Is Trying to Tell You Something’s Wrong.

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The Initial Causes Can Enlarged Prostate Cause Hip Pain

How Common Is Prostatitis

Prostatitis is the most common urinary tract problem for men younger than age 50 and the third most common urinary tract problem for men older than age 50.1 Prostatitis accounts for about two million visits to health care providers in the United States each year.2

Chronic prostatitis or chronic pelvic pain syndrome is

the most common and least understood form of prostatitis.
can occur in men of any age group.
affects 10 to 15 percent of the U.S. male population.3

What Causes The Pain

We feel pain when our bones, muscles, organs, nerves or other parts of our bodies are damaged or irritated. Cancer which has spread into these areas might cause pain.

Sometimes pain can be due to cancer treatments. For example, radiotherapy to treat bone pain can sometimes cause your pain to get worse during treatment and for a few days afterwards. But this isnt very common.

Pain can also be caused by problems not linked to the cancer, such as an infection.

Your doctors and nurses will work with you to find out what is causing your pain and will talk to you about suitable treatments. There are effective ways to treat different types of pain.

Bone pain

If prostate cancer spreads to the bone, it can damage or weaken the bone and may cause pain. But not all men with cancer in their bones will get bone pain. Prostate cancer can spread to any area of bone around the body. It most commonly spreads to the spine. Pain in these areas can sometimes make it painful to walk and move around. The pain might remain in only one area, but over time it can spread to several parts of your body.

Bone pain is a very specific feeling. Some men describe it as feeling similar to a toothache but in the bones, or like a dull aching or stabbing. It can get worse when you move and can make the area tender to touch. Each mans experience of bone pain will be different. The pain may be constant or it might come and go. How bad it is can also vary and may depend on where the affected bone is.

Nerve pain

Prostate Cancer And Incontinence

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Incontinence the inability to control urine flow is a common side effect of all therapies directed at the prostate gland. Most patients do eventually regain complete urinary control. Exercises to strengthen the sphincter and surrounding pelvic muscles can help you regain urinary control. These are called Kegel exercises. A training program called biofeedback helps reinforce the proper performance of Kegel exercises. Medications may also help relieve incontinence. A male sling is a surgical option, as is an artificial urinary sphincter which can be surgically inserted in cases of severe incontinence. Ask your doctor about these options.

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Trouble Walking Or Climbing Stairs

Having difficulty walking or climbing stairs due to pain or weakness? It’s time to schedule an appointment with your doctor. According to South Carolina-based urologist Neal Shore, MD, it’s a symptom that can emerge as prostate cancer progresses. “Men with advanced disease and their caregivers describe difficulty walking or climbing stairs,” he wrote on Oncology Nurse Advisor. “These symptoms can have a major impact on daily quality of life, but men with advanced disease don’t always recognize these symptoms.” And for things you’re doing that are increasing your chances of another serious health problem, check out 20 Ways You’re Raising Your Risk of a Heart Attack Without Knowing It.

Diagnosing Back Pain And Prostate Cancer

A doctors first step in finding out the cause of back pain typically is to take an image, usually an X-ray or CT scan.

For men who have early stage or localized prostate cancer, that it would spread to the bone is very unusual, says Chris Filson, a doctor at the Atlanta Veterans Administration Medical Center. However, if a patient has more advanced prostate cancer, we have to do additional tests to ensure theres no involvement of the cancer in the bone.

A doctor who suspects or already has diagnosed prostate cancer will look for characteristic changes in the bone. The X-ray or CT scan also can indicate how much of your spine is affected and where.

In addition, an MRI can detect problems that an X-ray or CT scan cant.

Chiropractors are often the ones who first spot or suggest the presence of prostate cancer. Joint pain, especially back pain, often sends people to chiropractic care when they dont have any other symptoms of prostate cancer.

Whether youre seeing a chiropractor or medical doctor, be sure to provide your complete medical history. This can help your doctor diagnose your back pain. Its especially important to mention any personal or family history of cancer.

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Do Prostate Problems Cause Other Problems

Yes, a prostate problem may cause other problems, such as

problems having sex
feeling stressed due to chronic pain
inflammation in areas near your prostate

Which problem you may get depends on the type of prostate problem you have. Other problems may vary from man to man for each type of prostate problem.

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Management Of Prostate Cancer Pain

What are the most common earliest symptoms of prostate cancer?

The same study reveals that pain has a major impact on numerous dimensions of patients quality of life. Patients with poorly controlled pain experience significant physical effects, such as decreased strength, limited mobility, and difficulty sleeping. In terms of psychological effects, patients with pain have increases in fear, anxiety, and depression and a decrease in their overall enjoyment of life. Socially, pain has an effect on the patients ability to form and maintain relationships with others and also places an increased burden on caregivers. However, there are treatment options for the management of pain in patients with prostate cancer.

Pharmacologic management of pain usually start with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs , and opioid analgesics, while step-two drugs include codeine, dihydrocodeine, hydrocodone, oxycodone, and propoxyphene. Step-three drugs are usually opioids like morphine, hydromorphone, oxycodone, and fentanyl. For a small percentage of people who cant take oral medication, transdermal fentanyl or rectal morphine suppositories are also options. Adjuvant medication may be used to increase the efficacy of opioids or to treat pain of a different etiology, and it includes tricyclic antidepressants, anticonvulsants and corticosteroids. Local therapy may consist of palliative radiation, multimodal chemotherapy or physical therapy, while systemic therapies refers to the use of bisphosphonates.

Treatments For Prostate Cancer Spread To Bones

If prostate cancer spreads to other parts of the body, it nearly always goes to the bones first. Bone metastasis can be painful and can cause other problems, such as fractures , spinal cord compression , or high blood calcium levels, which can be dangerous or even life threatening.

If the cancer has grown outside the prostate, preventing or slowing the spread of the cancer to the bones is a major goal of treatment. If the cancer has already reached the bones, controlling or relieving pain and other complications is also a very important part of treatment.

Treatments such as hormone therapy, chemotherapy, and vaccines may help with this, but other treatments specifically target bone metastasis and the problems it may cause.

Pain As Symptom Of Prostate Cancer

Approximately 70% to 85% of patients with advanced prostate cancer have associated clinically apparent bone metastases, while another 20% to 25% have metastatic liver lesions, explain the authors of the study Pain Management in Patients With Advanced Prostate Cancer.In addition to pelvic pain associated with primary tumor extension, these metastatic lesions cause pain that ranges from mild to very severe and may require extensive, highly individualized pain management. Pain is perhaps the one aspect of cancer that patients fear most, and effective pain control is a critical issue for patients and often a challenge for clinicians.

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Symptomatic treatment of an enlarged prostate usually involves a combination of medication and lifestyle changes. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables may be the best option if you suffer from chronic urination. It will help the body adjust to the increased size of the prostate. Also, taking regular urination intervals will help retrain the bladder to function properly. Inactivity also contributes to urine retention, and cold temperatures can increase the urge to urinate.

Invasive treatment of enlarged prostate includes medication that relieves the pressure on the urethra and bladder. However, if the condition is severe, it may require surgical intervention. If treatment is not successful, the enlarged prostate can become a potentially life-threatening disease. As the hormone levels in the body change, the enlarged prostate can lead to various complications, including urinary retention and even cancer. This is why it is critical to see a doctor for further evaluation.

You Frequently Lose Feeling In Your Legs Or Feet

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Having your foot fall asleep once in a while in the car is one thing, but you should get checked out if you notice that you’re experiencing frequent numbness or loss of sensation in your legs or feet.

Cancer Treatment Centers of America states that this sort oflower limb numbness can be a symptom of prostate cancer spreading and pressing on the spinal nerves.

Genetic Testing For Prostate Cancer

You may hear a lot about genetics or genomics. Both terms are related to genes and cell DNA, but they are different. These tests are being used to learn more about the DNA of cancer cells, and link DNA mutations with treatments. In the future, genetic testing may be the first step doctors take when diagnosing prostate cancer.

At What Stage Does Prostate Cancer Cause Pain

There may be symptoms in the first three stages of prostate cancer.

As this cancer advances into stage 4, it spreads beyond the prostate to other organs in the body. It is now called metastatic prostate cancer and may cause pain in the areas of the body to which it has spread.

For example, metastatic prostate cancer that spreads to the spine may cause back pain. If it spreads to the brain, it may cause headaches.

/10why Does It Cause Swelling Signs To Watch Out For

Wondering how the cancer that spreads to the leg causes swelling?

Cancer Research UK explains, âCancer cells can stop lymph fluid from draining away.”

âThis might lead to swelling in the legs due to fluid build-up in that area. The swelling is called lymphoedema,” the health charity explains further.

The swelling can be spotted in various ways. From tighter clothes, shoes and jewellery to heavier, tighter and stiffer legs, watch out for these signs.

In addition, âSwelling may be soft and easy to push in with your fingers, leaving a dent . The swelling may also be non-pitting,” notes Cancer Research UK.

Symptoms Of Prostate Cancer

What are the Symptoms and Signs of Prostate Cancer?

Once a tumor causes your prostate gland to swell, or once cancer spreads beyond your prostate, you may have symptoms including:

The need to pee often, especially at night
Trouble starting or stopping a stream of urine
A weak stream or one that starts and stops
Leaking pee when you laugh or cough
Not being able to pee standing up
Pain or burning when you pee
Blood in your pee or
Pressure or pain in your rectum
Pain or stiffness in your lower back, hips, pelvis, or thighs
New trouble getting an erection

These arenât symptoms of the cancer itself. They happen because the cancer growth is blocking your prostate.

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How Is Prostate Cancer Treated

Treatment options for prostate cancer depend on several factors:

whether the cancer is high risk
the stage of the cancer whether it is only found in the prostate or has it spread to elsewhere in the body?
the PSA level and how fast it might be changing
age and general health

Your doctor will recommend one or more of the following options if you have prostate cancer:

Recurrent Prostate Cancer Symptoms

Prostate cancer that returns after treatment is considered recurrent. When it returns to the area around the prostate, the disease is classified as a local recurrence. If the cancer is found in another part of the body, the recurrent cancer is considered metastatic. If the cancer metastasizes outside the prostate, it most likely develops in bones first. Metastatic prostate cancer most often spreads to the liver, bones and lungs.

After initial treatment for prostate cancer, PSA levels are expected to drop dramatically. The first sign of recurrent prostate cancer may be a rise in the PSA level. Other symptoms of recurrent cancer may depend on whether and where the cancer has spread. Symptoms include:

Blood in the urine
Difficulty breathing

Patients should discuss any symptoms with their doctor and ask about scheduling regular PSA tests after treatment.

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