What are the Symptoms and Signs of Prostate Cancer?

What are the Symptoms and Signs of Prostate Cancer?

Prostate cancer happens to be one of the few common diseases found in men, which is also extremely excruciating physically. Although this disease might not have severe effects on the other parts of the body, yet if it remains untreated for an extended period, then it can turn into a fatal one. This is one of the potential reasons why one must undergo several assessments along with early interventions to prevent the severity of the disease in the body.

In the majority of the cases, the symptoms and the signs of the cancer isn’t much visible during the early stages of development in the body. The symptoms might also vary between each individual depending on the severity of the tumor in the body. This is why one needs to opt for different kinds of rectal exams as well as prostate-specific androgen tests or PSA, as referred by the doctors.

About the early prostate cancer symptoms

The prostate gland is present in the region lying between the bladder and the urethra, which makes it common to demonstrate symptoms related to both the organs along with the gland. During the early stages of infection, there is the presence of tumors in the adjoining regions of the gland, which might sometimes constrict the urethra, causing difficulty in the passage of the urine from the body. Here are some of the early signs of cancer visible in men:

• Excruciating pain or a feeling of burning sensation during urination
• Difficulty in urinating or trouble in controlling the motion
• Increased frequency in urination during the night hours
• Loss of control over the urinary bladder
• A sudden decrease in the flow of the urine
• Presence of blood in the urine which is also known as hematuria
• Presence of blood in semen, a liquid secreted from the reproductive organ of the males
• Prolonged difficulty in getting a proper erection which is also known as erectile dysfunction
• Pain during the procedure of ejaculation, etc.

In case you happen to suffer from any such symptoms, you should immediately consult a doctor for the same. You might be referred to do a PSA test, which would help the professionals to determine the amount of the level of PSA in your blood. This is possible as the prostate gland manufactures the PSA, which is a protein whose elevated level in the blood would be an early symptom of the developing prostate cancer in the body. Not only cancer, but a high PSA test can also indicate the inflammation of the gland, which is termed as prostatitis or the enlargement of the gland, which is termed as the benign prostatic hyperplasia.

As this test can detect these types of disorders in the body, hence, you also need to undergo a rectum test to determine the presence of the condition in the body.

Symptoms of the advanced level of cancer in the prostate gland

The tumors that cause the disease in the prostate gland can also spread to the adjoining areas and affect the nearby organs and the tissues severely. However, if the tumor spreads over to the spinal region, it may have adverse effects on the nerves located around the spinal cord. The signs of this advanced stage of prostate cancer include:

• Swelling in the legs or the pelvic region of the body
• Numbness or severe pain in hips, feet or the legs
• Constant pain in the bones and the joints which do not fade away and instead leads to fractures

Remember that the prostate cancer symptoms in the prostate gland differ from one case to another. The early signs are an indication of the spread of cancer in the body. This is the reason one needs to undergo regular check-ups at the appropriate healthcare institutions to keep a check on the development of such conditions in the body.

Persistent symptoms of the cancer in the body

In many cancer patients, often, the early signs of cancer return back after the treatment. In cases of prostate cancer, too, it might return after a certain period. If the disease returns to the original area, it is termed as the local recurrence of the cancer. However, if the tumor is found in any other part of the body, then there is a high chance of developing the same in the lymph nodes present in the lymphatic system. The metastatic prostate cancers mostly spread to the bones, liver, and lungs area of the body.

In the case of recurrent cancer, too, there is a sharp increase in the levels of the PSA in the body. However, the other signs would include:

• Presence of blood in the urine
• Difficulty or pain in urinating
• Lower back pain
• Prolonged feeling of fatigue in the body
• Jaundice

To know more about such signs of prostate cancer and their control, it is essential to consult a doctor as soon as possible. Remember, as prostate cancer isn’t harmful to the body during the early stages, hence early interventions are quite beneficial in eradicating disease out of the body. It also controls the spread of the tumor to other parts of the body enabling the person to lead a healthy and active life for an extended period.