Early Signs Of Prostate Cancer Never To Ignore
Early-stage prostate cancer usually has very few or no warning signs at all. Cancer could only raise concern if the tumor happens to press on the urethra and cause changes to your urine flow. Early signs of prostate cancer may not be visible and their undetectable nature can lead to cancer progression.
What Are 5 Common Warning Signs Of Prostate Cancer
In many cases, prostate cancer does not produce clear symptoms in its initial stages of development. In fact, many men may have prostate cancer without even realizing it. However, there are some common warning signs that could indicate a person has prostate cancer. Five of the most common ones include:
Of course, these five symptoms are not the only potential warning signs of prostate cancer. Other possible indicators could include weak urine flow, and unexplained pain deep in the groin area when sitting down. If cancer has spread beyond the prostate, a man may also suffer lower body swelling, abnormal urinary or bowel habits, or inexplicable weight loss.
It’s important to note that most of these symptoms are not unique to prostate cancer, and may indicate a different condition that is not life-threatening.
Early Warning Signs Of Prostate Cancer
There are various stages of prostate cancer. There is a total of 4 stages of prostate cancer. It is absolutely crucial to know about the early symptoms of prostate cancer because it helps you to better treat your prostate cancer. There are many prostate exercises, which you can try to protect your prostate. The study shows that exercises can improve your overall prostate health. In this part of the article, you will get to know about 5 early warning signs that indicate a prostate cancer.
The first early warning sign of prostate cancer is having difficulty while urinating. You may feel like you need to rush, but after some time, you may feel like there is nothing left to come out. There might also be a case of stopping midstream or urinating more often than usual. Another sign is the difficulty in stopping. You will find it hard to stop after finishing, or you might feel you still need to urinate, even after finishing. The urethra are surrounded by the prostate gland, and even a tiny tumor can interfere with ejaculation and urination.
2. Pain during urination
3. Blood can be seen in the urine
4. Leakage or dribbling urine
5. Erectile problems
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How Can I Prevent Prostate Problems Naturally
There is no sure way to prevent prostate problems such as prostate cancer. Many risk factors such as age, race, and family history cant be controlled. But some of the studies suggest a few ways that can help keep the prostate healthy and prevent prostate cancer naturally. These include:
- Keep your weight under control
- Stay physically active
How Can Prostate Cancer Be Treated
Prostate cancer can be treated in a number of different ways depending on factors such as the severity of cancer and the rate at which it is growing.
Maslow explains, In my 20 years of oncology experience, I have seen many changes on the front of prostate cancer. All treatment forms depend on the aggressiveness of the disease and the patients current health status. Radiation often plays a big part in treatment of prostate cancer. This comes in many formsexternal beam radiation, prostate seed implants, proton therapy, high intensity focused ultrasound, and chemotherapy. In some cases for advanced disease, radioactive isotopes can be administered to make the patient more comfortable.
Low-grade prostate cancer may not require treatment, especially if you arent experiencing any symptoms. In these instances, a doctor may recommend active surveillance, which involves closely monitoring symptoms and undergoing regular blood testing, rectal exams, and prostate biopsies.
Other treatments for prostate cancer include hormone therapy, freezing or heating the prostate tissue, surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted drug therapy. Your doctor can recommend the best prostate cancer treatment for you based on your unique condition.
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Sudden Or Unexplained Weight Loss
If youve cleaned up your diet and have been exercising regularly, its very clear why you might be shedding a few pounds. But if youre suddenly losing weight out of nowhere without trying to, it could be a signal of a health problemâprostate cancer included. According to Prostate Cancer U.K., weight loss often occurs with prostate cancer because of a change in the way your body uses energy, and that can eventually make you feel tired and weak.
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Weight Loss Is Often Associated With Cancer Prostate Cancer Included
If all of a sudden you begin dropping weight unintentionally at a fast rate, something isn’t quite right within the body.
Rapid and unintentional weight loss can be a symptom of many other types of diseases, but if you are of the demographic at risk for prostate cancer , Dr. Sloane suggests getting your prostate checked quickly, as this could be dangerous, and related to cancer.
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What Is Advanced Prostate Cancer Then
Advanced prostate cancer is the stage of the disease where it has spread beyond the prostate gland to other parts of the body, such as the bones or lymph nodes.
Early prostate cancer symptoms are often difficult to spot, as they can mimic benign conditions such as an enlarged prostate or infection. In most cases, prostate gland cancer symptom is a slow growing tumor that produces few symptoms in its early stages. As the tumor grows and invades nearby tissue, it may press on urethra, rectum or bladder causing discomfort or pain with urination or bowel movements.
In its later stages, prostate cancer can metastasize, or spread to other parts of the body, most commonly the bones. Symptoms at this stage can include bone pain, fractures and difficulty walking.
According to a prostate cancer research, it is important for all men to be aware of the signs and symptoms of prostate cancer, as early detection is key to successful treatment.
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
- Jaundice
Patients should discuss any symptoms with their doctor and ask about scheduling regular PSA tests after treatment.
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What Are The Risk Factors For Prostate Cancer
Some of the greatest risk factors for prostate cancer include:
- Age. Prostate cancer is very rare in men younger than 40 years of age. In contrast, approximately 60% of prostate cancer cases occur in men that are older than 65.
- Race. African-American men tend to be at greater risk for prostate cancer compared to non-Hispanic whites, whereas Asian-Americans and Hispanic/Latino men are less susceptible to this disease.
- Location. Prostate cancer is most common in North America, Europe, Australia, and the Caribbean. It is rarer in Asia, Africa, and Central and South America. This may be because of more intensive screening procedures for the disease in certain countries, although lifestyle factors such as diet could also play a key role in the difference.
- Family history. In many cases, there is a strong hereditary factor associated with the emergence of prostate cancer. In fact, men who have a father or brother with prostate cancer have a much higher risk of developing it themselves.
Other possible risk factors could include a dairy-rich diet, obesity, smoking, and exposure to harmful chemicals.
Why Is The Psas Role In Detecting Early
Most men detect prostate cancer in the early stages during annual check-ups at their doctors, when they get their annual PSA screening or digital rectal exam. Its especially important to start testing your PSA level starting at your 40s, especially if you check one or more of the risk factors:
- you are a male over the age of 50
- there is prostate cancer history in your family
- you are African American .
The signs of prostate cancer generally become more noticeable in the advanced stages of the disease. Prostate cancer symptoms are not usually caused by cancer itself, but rather as a result of blockage caused by the increased growth of the prostate gland. This growth can affect a mans sexual performance and also cause urinary tract difficulties. This is why its imperative to have a yearly check-up done in order to catch prostate cancer in the early stages when it can be treated more effectively.
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You Might Have Trouble Ejaculating
As Dr. Sloane noted above, one of the key symptoms of prostate cancer is checking for an unusually weak stream.
Notably, your ejaculatory stream may also fall subject to this too. If you’re noticing that you are not ejaculating as much as you usually do, or even that it’s more painful when you do, that could be something to explore with your doctor, as it often has been connected to early stages of prostate cancer, according to the Prostate Cancer Foundation.
So What Are The Warning Signs Of Prostate Cancer
Unfortunately, there usually arent any early warning signs for prostate cancer. The growing tumor does not push against anything to cause pain, so for many years the disease may be silent. Thats why screening for prostate cancer is such an important topic for all men and their families.
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In rare cases, prostate cancer can cause symptoms. Contact your doctor for an evaluation if you experience any of the following:
- A need to urinate frequently, especially at night, some- times urgently
- Difficulty starting or holding back urination
- Weak, dribbling, or interrupted flow of urine
- Painful or burning urination
- Blood in the urine or semen
- Pressure or pain in the rectum
- Pain or stiffness in the lower back, hips, pelvis, or thighs
Remember: urinary symptoms dont necessarily mean you have cancer. Prostatitis or BPH are benign diseases but can cause similar symptoms and are very common.
What about difficulty in having an erection? Again, this is most likely not caused by cancer but by other factors such as diabetes, smoking, cardiovascular disease, or just plain getting older.
That said: Symptoms are symptoms, and no matter whats most likely to be causing them, you should get them checked out by a doctor.
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Posted on by Tristan Berry MDin Prostate Cancer
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Urinating More Often Than Usual Especially At Night
Loss of bladder control is one of the most common prostate cancer symptoms.
Its when you have to get up more often than usual during the night in order to use the restroom. If youre a man and feel like you need to urinate more often, it may be a sign of prostate cancer.
If you are going more than once an hour, especially at night, it is best to go see a doctor.
What You Need To Know About Prostate Cancer
Unless it causes problems, most men dont give a lot of thought to their prostate. The small gland is responsible for producing seminal fluid , and its located beneath the bladder and around the urethra, the tube that transports fluid to the penis.
Most types of prostate cancer are known as adenocarcinomas, which are cancers that develop from gland cells, the Mayo Clinic says.
While some forms of prostate cancer grow and spread quickly, others grow quite slowly. The American Cancer Society notes that some people can have undetectable prostate cancer for decades without it causing any problems. But the risks of prostate cancer are quite serious, particularly as it begins to spread to other areas of the body.
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Lower Your Risk For Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer is a serious disease, but early detection is key. Talk to your doctor about your risk factors and when or if you should be screened for prostate cancer sometimes as early as age 40, if youre considered high risk.
Theres no way to eliminate the risk of getting prostate cancer, Dr. Weight says, but if youre at a higher risk for developing the disease, there are steps you can take to lower your risk.
- Get regular prostate screenings.
Determining The Proper Treatment
There are a number of treatment options for prostate cancer, according to the Mayo Clinic.
- Radiation. Radiation therapy can be delivered in a few different ways. One is external beam radiation, in which a machine outside the body delivers radiation to the prostate tissue. Another form of therapy, known as brachytherapy, involves using radioactive seeds to deliver a low dose of radiation directly to the prostate tissue.
- Hormones. The hormone testosterone acts as fuel for prostate cancer cells inside the body. By blocking the production of testosterone, you can kill off the cancer. Possible treatments include medications that stop the production of testosterone, medications that block testosterone from reaching cancer cells or, in extreme cases, surgery to remove the testicles.
- Surgery. For life-threatening prostate cancer, surgery to remove the prostate gland and surrounding tissues may be recommended.
- Biological therapy. Biological therapy uses your bodys own immune system to fight cancer. In the case of prostate cancer, your bodys immune cells are engineered in a lab to fight prostate cancer, and then injected back into your body.
- Chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is a traditional cancer treatment thats used to stop its spread. It may be needed for prostate cancer that has spread to other areas of the body.
- Cryosurgery or cryoablation. Freezing prostate tissue and then thawing it out has shown some success in killing prostate cancer when other treatments have failed.
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Prostate Cancer: Signs And Symptoms
So, the good news is that when you detect prostate cancer in its very early stages, youve got a much better chance of survival. The bad news is that in its absolute earliest stages, prostate cancer causes very few symptoms. However, as it develops and even before it spreads to other organs in the body there are some signs you should be aware of.
One of the most easily recognizable signs of a prostate problem is difficulty urinating. That includes having a weak stream of urine, dribbling urine, and having frequent urges to urinate, even during sleep and even if you dont have a lot of urine in your bladder. Urinary symptoms occur as the tumor enlarges and begins pressing on your bladder or against your urethra .
Urinary troubles may be the symptom most commonly associated with prostate cancer, but its not the only symptom you need to be aware of. Other symptoms include:
- Blood in your urine or semen
- Problems getting or maintaining an erection
- Pain during ejaculation
- Pain or pressure in the pelvic area
- Pain or pressure in the rectum area, the hips, or the lower back
What Are The Treatments For Prostate Cancer
Your doctor may keep you on regular monitoring with PSA teats and other exams to see if the cancer is benign or malignant.
However, if your doctor decides to get rid of the cancer he may recommend surgery or radiation therapy.
If the cancer has spread to other areas outside of the prostate gland, your doctor may recommend systemic treatments.
Depending on the stage of the cancer, your doctor will consider the following types of surgery.
Radical prostatectomy
This surgery also known as open prostatectomy involves the removal of the entire prostate and seminal vesicles, along with the lymph nodes in the pelvic area. This will likely affect sexual function.
Robotic prostatectomy
This surgery also known as laparoscopic prostatectomy removes the prostate gland by using a camera and tools inserted through a small keyhole in the patients abdomen. This is less invasive than the open prostatectomy but will likely cause sexual or urinary side effects.
Transurethral resection of the prostate
TURP is usually used to relieve symptoms of urinary blockage by removing prostate tissue.
Systemic therapy
Systemic therapy is the use of medication to destroy cancer cells, either through an intravenous tube or in a pill or capsule.
Types of systemic therapies used for prostate cancer include Immunotherapy, testosterone suppression therapy and radiopharmaceuticals.
Always talk to your doctor about the side effects of any treatment recommended for prostate cancer.
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What Should I Do If I Have Prostate Cancer Symptoms
If you are displaying one or more signs of prostate cancer, be sure to promptly consult with a physician. Even benign prostate conditions like prostate enlargement warrant timely medical attention, so dont delay seeking treatment. And, like most other malignancies, prostate cancer is usually more easily treated when it is detected at an early stage.
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.
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