S To Take After A Prostate Cancer Diagnosis
For many men, the first sign of prostate problems involves urination changes.
Some men may begin to notice increased frequency, slowing of their stream, and getting up at night to empty their bladder, says Dr. Chodak. Urinary troubles can often signal a noncancerous gland enlargement, which is called benign prostatic hyperplasia, a condition that is common in men over 40. Virtually every guy over 70 has some prostatic enlargement, says Edward Geehr, MD, the chief medical officer of ILinkMD Corporation.
Still, any urination changes including pain, weak flow, difficulty starting or stopping, frequent nighttime urination or blood in the urine or semen should be evaluated by a doctor.
In its advanced stages, prostate cancer can cause leg swelling and bone pain as the cancer spreads to other areas of the body.
Bladder And Urinary Troubles
A prostate tumor that has grown significantly in size may start to press on your bladder and urethra. The urethra is the passage the carries urine from your bladder out of your body. If the tumor is pressing on your urethra, you might have trouble passing urine.
One of the common areas for prostate cancer to spread to is the bladder, because the two organs are close. This can cause additional problems with urination and bladder function.
Some symptoms your bladder and urethra are being affected by cancer include:
- urinating more frequently
- getting up in the middle of the night to pee
- having blood in your urine or semen
- feeling like you have to urinate often and not actually passing anything
Its not as common, but prostate cancer can also spread to your bowel. The cancer first spreads to the rectum, which is the part of your bowel closest to the prostate gland.
Symptoms of cancer thats spread to the bowels include:
- stomach pain
When To See A Doctor
Consult with your doctor if you experience any of the symptoms discussed on this page particularly if they have been going on for a while. You will need a thorough work-up to determine the underlying cause, which may or may not be prostate cancer.
Its important to understand that other diseases or disorders can share these same symptoms. Benign prostatic hyperplasia , also called enlargement of the prostate, and are quite common. Men with these benign conditions can experience symptoms more often and more severely than men with prostate cancer.
Erectile dysfunction is relatively common, especially as one ages, and can also have causes unrelated to prostate cancer, such as smoking or cardiovascular disease. Experiencing a lower amount of fluid during ejaculation can be related to something as simple as diet or dehydration.
Its important to keep track of your symptoms, determining whats normal or abnormal for your own body. If you are worried about a particular symptom, or if its interfering with a relationship, you should discuss your concerns with your primary care physician.
Prostate Cancer | Bills Story
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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.
Painful Or Burning Urination
Prostate cancer causes the gland to enlarge in size, affecting the normal flow of urine. Impedance to urine flow is the reason for painful micturition. It is also possible that painful urination occurs due to cancer spreading to surrounding structures. Prostate cancer is notorious for its nature of local invasion of surrounding structures like the urethra, bladder, and rectum. Burning during urination can be due to suppurative infection or side effects of the treatment of prostate cancer. The enlargement of the gland causes urinary obstruction and retention. Undue retention of urine inside the bladder can lead to infection of urethra and bladder leading to burning during urination.
Antibiotics can relieve the situation for a while, but the doctor needs to start treating prostate cancer to avoid further risks and complications. Discussing this problem with your doctor is the best possible choice to ward off the complications of undiagnosed prostate cancer. Family history and genetics are major risk factors of prostate cancer, but lifestyle changes and diet can make these warning signs more conspicuous as obesity can worsen your condition of painful micturition.
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Prostate Cancer Caregiver Podcast Series
We are proud to announce a new podcast series geared toward helping give support, hope and guidance to prostate cancer caregivers. The goal of this Prostate Cancer Caregiver Podcast Series is to help others connect with a diverse group of people who have felt the impact of prostate cancer in their lives and empower them on their journey.
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
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.
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If It Spreads Advanced Symptoms Of Prostate Cancer
As we discussed before, this type of cancer has malignant properties, and due to close proximity to the gland where it is formed with other organs, it can spread in severe cases. The metastatic tumor can grow and spread to bones or even the spine thrusting on the spinal nerves. The signs of severity may show through the following:
- Swollen legs and the pelvic
- Numbing of the hips, feet, and legs
- Pain in feet, hips, or legs
- Mulish ache in bones which can also cause fractures.
Early Signs Of Prostate Cancer
While any of the above symptoms can be your first indication that you have prostate cancer, urinary symptoms are more likely than other symptoms to appear early.
Its important to keep in mind that most of these symptoms can also be caused by other conditions that arent cancer. These conditions include benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostatitis.
So, while its important to keep tabs on any symptoms you may have, remember that theres a good chance theyre not caused by cancer.
That said, neither of these conditions causes blood to appear in your urine. If you have this symptom, call your doctor right away.
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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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What Is Psa And Psa Test
The cells inside the prostate gland produce a protein called Prostate- Specific Antigen . The prime function of this protein is to keep the semen in a healthy liquid condition such that the sperms easily swim in it.
A PSA test is one of the most frequently used testing tools when it comes to prostate cancer screening. It is simply a blood sample test which will detect the levels of PSA circulation inside your body. Other than being a common approach to diagnose prostate cancer, it is also used to keep track of cancer treatments, including radiations, chemo, hormone therapy, and so on. An escalation in the levels of PSA may also be a signal to conditions which are not necessarily cancerous, such as inflammation or augmentation of the prostate gland.
For the past practices so far, a level reading 4ng/ml or less has been rated normal. Those men who have their results notifying values above the standard may have prostate cancer and would usually be advised to get a biopsy for confirmation. Research has shown that men who developed prostate cancer may have lower levels of PSA. On the other hand, the ones who did not have cancer can show a higher level of PSA. One out of four men with higher levels of PSA will be confirmed to have prostate cancer.
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What Is The Prostate Cancer Survival Rate
Prostate cancer can be successfully treated when caught early on. The survival rate for this cancer depends on the stage of cancer.
According to the American Cancer Society, men with localized and regional prostate cancer have a nearly 100% 5-year relative survival rate. This means that men with prostate cancer are nearly 100% as likely as men without cancer to live for at least five years following their diagnosis. Localized cancer is cancer confined to the prostate, while regional cancer is cancer that has spread outside the prostate to nearby tissues or lymph nodes.
The 5-year relative survival rate for distant prostate cancer is 30%. Distant prostate cancer is aggressive cancer that has spread to other parts of the body far from the prostate, such as the liver or lungs.
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.
The Warning Signs Of Prostate Cancer
Each year there are more than 30,000 prostate cancer deaths that could be prevented through prostate cancer screening, which helps to find prostate cancer early, before there are any symptoms. In fact, most prostate cancer does not have any symptoms at all. However, when prostate cancer is not caught early, often urinary changes are the first thing that men notice. While urinary problems can be a result of the normal aging process, it can also be a sign that something is wrong. For individuals with symptomatic prostate cancer, they may experience:
- A painful or burning sensation during urination or ejaculation.
- Frequent urination, especially getting up at night to go to the bathroom
- Difficulty stopping or starting urination.
- Slower flow of urine
- Blood in urine or semen
As cancer advances people may also have:
- Unexplained pain in the back or spine
- Unexplained weight loss
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Who Is Most At Risk
All men can be considered at risk of prostate cancer but as we age the chances of developing this disease increases dramatically. Men under 40 are the least of concern but anyone over the age of 50 has a significant increase in developing this form of cancer. African-American men are the leading group of prostate cancer death and are twice as more likely to die then other ethnicities.3
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.
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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? Its 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 its 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 youre 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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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.
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Does Prostate Cancer Have Any Symptoms
Most men with early prostate cancer dont have any signs or symptoms.
One reason for this is the way the cancer grows. Youll usually only get early symptoms if the cancer grows near the tube you urinate through and presses against it, changing the way you urinate . But because prostate cancer usually starts to grow in a different part of the prostate, early prostate cancer doesnt often press on the urethra and cause symptoms.
If you do notice changes in the way you urinate, this is more likely to be a sign of a very common non-cancerous problem called an enlarged prostate, or another health problem. But its still a good idea to get it checked out. Possible changes include:
- difficulty starting to urinate or emptying your bladder
- a weak flow when you urinate
- a feeling that your bladder hasnt emptied properly
- dribbling urine after you finish urinating
- needing to urinate more often than usual, especially at night
- a sudden need to urinate you may sometimes leak urine before you get to the toilet.
If prostate cancer breaks out of the prostate or spreads to other parts of the body , it can cause other symptoms, including:
- back pain, hip pain or pelvis pain
- problems getting or keeping an erection
- blood in the urine or semen
- unexplained weight loss.
These symptoms can all be caused by other health problems. But its still a good idea to tell your GP about any symptoms so they can find out whats causing them and make sure you get the right treatment, if you need it.
Pain Or Burning Sensation When Urinating
Painful urination is also known as dysuria. This symptom tends to be more common in older men than in younger men. Dysuria is characterized by feelings of discomfort, pain, and/or burning when urinating. Dysuria may also be a sign of other medical conditions, including a urinary tract infection or sexually transmitted infection, which is why its important to see your doctor for a proper diagnosis.
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What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Prostate Cancer
A patient with early prostate cancer is usually asymptomatic. However, prostate cancer symptoms associated with enlargement of the prostate due to prostate cancer, which may occur with early and late-stage/advanced-stage disease, include the following:
- Frequent urination, during the day and/or at night
- Difficulty in starting , maintaining, or stopping the urine stream
- A weak or interrupted urine stream
- Straining to urinate
- increasing shortness of breath while doing activities previously well-tolerated
- low-impact fracture of bone without a lot of trauma and
- swelling of the legs related to obstruction of the lymph tissue by prostate cancer.
It is always best to find and diagnose prostate cancer at an early stage and hopefully still confined to its site of origin. At that point, treatments can cure it. When prostate cancer is widespread or metastatic, it can be treated, but it cannot be cured.