The Signs Of Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer can be silent. It usually is, at least while it is small. It doesnt cause any symptoms at that moment.
Thats because it usually grows in the periphery of the prostate, far from the urethra.
After it grows a little, you can start to get some symptoms. These are the most common:
As you can see, all these signs and symptoms are related to urination and ejaculation.
For example, as the prostate surrounds the urethra, prostate cancer may make it harder to pee.
The tumor will narrow the duct and the urine flow will diminish. Thats when we find difficulties to urinate. Either through trouble starting or being unable to stop.
Also, the effort of the bladder against the obstacle can cause a burning sensation or pain
And so on many of these signs are due to this obstacle mechanism.
What Is The Survival Rate For Prostate Cancer
Most of the men diagnosed with prostate cancer will not die from it. Other medical conditions along with prostate cancer can cause death.
Survival rates for men with prostate cancer have increased over the years due to increased screening and treatment options. Ninety-nine percent of men with prostate cancer will survive for a minimum of five years after diagnosis.
Is It Always Cancer
HOWEVER, as we said, most prostate tumors dont happen in the central gland, but in the peripheral zone. And this zone is far from the urethra.
So, many times, when we have these symptoms they are NOT because of cancer.
They are because of something else like benign prostatic hyperplasia . This disorder is way more frequent and many men suffer it after a certain age .
Whats more, pain and burn are also caused by prostatitis .
So how can we tell between cancer and the others ?
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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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No Symptoms In Early Stages
The problem is, early stage prostate cancer is a silent lurker with no symptoms. However, a growing tumor will eventually cause symptoms. Since many noncancerous conditions like infection or normal age-related prostate enlargement can cause similar symptoms, only a doctor can tell the difference.
Here are 10 prostate cancer warning signs you should pay attention to. To help you remember them, I have divided them into three categories: urinary function, sexual function, and pain.
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Pain And Discomfort In The Pelvic Area Lower Back Or Upper Thighs
Symptoms associated with prostate cancer can also be caused by other non-cancerous diseases, such as a urinary tract infection or benign prostatic hyperplasia . The latter is often confused with prostate cancer. Your doctor can help to diagnose your exact condition and address any of the issues listed above with treatment.
Detecting Prostate Cancer: 7 Signs And Symptoms
Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in American men according to the National Cancer Institute. The term “prostate cancer” refers to any cancer that begins in your prostate. What is the prostate? It’s a walnut-sized gland near the penis and bladder responsible for making seminal fluid.
As you age your risk of developing cancer in your prostate gland increases. That means it’s a good idea to discuss the pros and cons of prostate screening with your doctor once you reach 50.
This type of cancer usually progresses very slowly and often with few signs or symptoms. The Prostate Cancer Foundation says many of the symptoms people associate with cancer could actually signal a benign disease like benign prostate hypertrophy or BPH for short. However some forms of aggressive prostate gland cancer grow quickly so let your doctor know if you’re experiencing any of the following symptoms:
1. Weak or stop-and-start urine flow – If you are having trouble passing urine it could be a sign of an enlarged prostate a tumor or cancer.
2. Frequent need to urinate – It might be more than just an annoyance to find that you need to urinate more frequently especially at night.
3. Burning or pain when urinating – Several different conditions could cause pain or burning when you urinate including infections prostatitis or cancer.
4. Blood in the urine or semen -If you notice blood in your urine or semen call your doctor right away.
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How To Know Whether It Is Cancer
If you have any of the mentioned signs, you should see a doctor. They will take the steps to rule out cancer.
However, you can read here the different options :
RECTAL EXAMINATION
The doctor checks your prostate through your rectum, with a finger. The prostate is in contact with the rectum so this is the way to palpate it.
Doing so, the doctor can check if it is enlarged, if it has hard nodules
PSA
It is detected through a blood test. The more prostatic tissue you have, the higher value of PSA you have.
It is useful if you have a normal PSA value, because that virtually rules out cancer. If your PSA is okey, your prostate is probably ok.
However, if you have a high PSA then you have more prostatic tissue than normal. Maybe you have BPH .
Prostatitis also causes a high PSA, because of the irritated tissue.
So if PSA is normal then everything is good. If PSA is high you probably need some extra tests to find out what is wrong.
An increased PSA can be due to prostate cancer, but also to BPH and prostatitis.
PROSTATE MRI
You go inside the MRI machine and stay still for around 30 minutes.
Usually, it also requires intravenous contrast so you will need an IV line.
- This test will tell the doctor if there are any suspiciousnodules inside the prostate. Also, it will show the prostate cancer stage.
- It will also show if it is a large prostate, but with no malignant nodules .
If there are no nodules, everythings fine. If there are you may need a biopsy.
PROSTATE BIOPSY
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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 youre noticing that you are not ejaculating as much as you usually do, or even that its 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.
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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
Prostate Cancer Symptoms Early Advanced And Recurrent Signs
As referenced before, the prostate malignancy will, for the most part, give practically zero indications explicitly during the beginning period. The manifestations may change for every person. It is imperative to understand that a significant number of symptoms can also be present because of other underlying diseases. You can schedule a screening test, which is often through a rectal examination to look for the prospects of an abnormality if there is any.
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Who Is At High Risk For Prostate Cancer
All men are at risk for prostate cancer. Thirteen out of every 100 American men will get prostate cancer, and about two to three men will die from it.
The most common risk factor is age. As the age advances, the risk of a man getting prostate cancer increases.
Other factors that put a man at high risk for prostate cancer include:
- African American men: They are more than twice as likely to die from prostate cancer as white men and tend to get prostate cancer at a younger age.
- Family history of prostate cancer: Men who have a father, brother, or son diagnosed with or with a history of prostate cancer have a greater risk of getting prostate cancer.
- Genetic makeup: Men with inherited mutations of the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes or with Lynch syndrome
The effects of several risk factors that increase the risk of prostate cancer are not clear, although a small number of studies have suggested their association with prostate cancer. These include:
- Inflammation of the prostate
- Excess of calcium in diet or through supplements
Burning Or Pain During Urination
The most common cause of pain or burning when urinating is a bladder infection, Paulson says. However, if your urine test comes back negative for infection or the burning and pain is persistent, be sure to dig a little deeper and check your prostate. It could be an easily missed sign of prostate cancer, she says.
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What Are The Early Warning Signs Of Prostate Cancer
An uncurbed production of cells in the prostate gland of males is called prostate cancer, which is accompanied by a host of varying symptoms.
The prostate is essentially one of the fundamental parts of the male reproductive system the other is whats called seminal vesicles. The prime use of both these organs in a man is to help in the production of the semen, which at a point then goes into the urethra. The urethra is functional for carrying the urine from the bladder and out of the body of a man through his penis. This is the reason you may confront trouble while urinating if your prostate has expanded in size.
Since the urethra and the prostate glands lie near one another, and the urethras primary responsibility is urinary functions many symptoms of prostate cancer can merely be underlying urinary issues . The malignancy of the tumor may expand and squeeze the urethra, thus disrupting the urine flux. The phase of malignant growth itself can fluctuate now since it would be contingent upon where in the body the tumor is developing and what size it has reached. Some early signs signifying the advancement of prostate cancer can include the following:
- A burning sensation or sharp pain while urinating
- Issues during urination especially in starting or stopping the flow
- Recurring need to urinate at nighttime
- Little or no control of the bladder
- Bleeding during urination
- Issues with having an erection or a complete failure of having one
- Irritating or sore ejaculation
Prostate Cancer Warning Signs You Should Be Looking Out For
Although prostate cancer is rare before age 40, its important for men of all ages to be aware of its symptoms, because its the second leading cause of cancer deaths in American men. If you recognize the signs early and come in to see Mark J. Kelly, MD, in Santa Monica, California, youll have a much better chance of treating it successfully.
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Weak Flow When Urinating
If you went from having a normal stream to a weaker flow, thats another sign you need to see your doctor. When theres a mass or swelling in the prostate, it can press on the urethra, Paulson says. Its almost like pinching a straw. If you pinch a straw, its hard for liquid to come through your straw. The same thing can happen to urine flow, making it hard to have a strong urine stream.
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Who Can Be More At Risk
13 out of 100 men in America have a risk of developing prostate cancer at some point and time in their lives, and at least two of these men may die of it. The main risk factor is just being a man. However, some of the characteristics are specific, and they may include these:
- If you are African American
- If you are 50 years old or above
- If any of your immediate family members has a history of having this disease
- If you consume a diet with high amounts of saturated fats, or if you are obese
- If you have developed very high levels of testosterone
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Do You Know The Five Warning Signs Of Prostate Cancer
Posted on by Southwest Diagnostic Center for Molecular Imagingin Cancer Screening, Prostate Cancer
Do you know that prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in American men next to skin cancer? Do you know that the prostate is a vital part of a mans reproductive system? Do you know men can have both benign and cancerous growths in the prostate gland? Most importantly, do you know the five warning signs of prostate cancer? Every man should know when to take action.
What Causes Prostate Cancer
Put simply, prostate cancer is caused by changes in a person’s genetic code or DNA. There are two important types of genes that may play a role in the development of prostate cancer:
- Genes that help cells grow, divide, and stay alive are called oncogenes.
- Genes that keep cell growth under control, repair mistakes in our DNA, or trigger cellular death at the right time are called tumor suppressor genes.
If either gene type changes , then it can result in cells growing out of control e.g., cancer.
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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.
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
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How Can I Check Myself For Prostate Cancer
For a disease that is the second most fatal cancer in men, its symptoms are not very apparent. It can be quite a task to detect the presence of prostate cancer, unless it becomes enormous and presses on the urethra, thus causing trouble in its regular functions. As discussed before, what you may suffer through in prostate cancer can be just another urinary abnormality too. Knowing the risks is how you can make it a little easier for yourself.
Since PSA testing has been controversial over the years it was only recently that a new way of testing yourself at home was developed. The East Anglia, Norfolk, and Norwich Universitys science management departments collaborated to invent whats called a PUR test. You can now simply test the possibility of having prostate cancer by collecting your first urine of the day and sending it for an examination. The results have proven to show more biomarkers of prostate cancer than what is visible after a digital rectal exam.
PUR test is more of a diagnostic where the level of prostate malignancy can be detected. It can save you a lot of time of surveillance that is usually a requirement when a patient is undergoing tumor development. So, if youre facing any of the symptoms mentioned before specifically related to urine problems do a PUR test collection and home and get it tested to be on the safe side.