How Can You Tell You Have Prostate Cancer

Prostate Cancer Risk Assessment

How Can I Tell If My Prostate Cancer Is Curable?

Prostate cancer represents a wide spectrum of disease. Some prostate cancers progress and need treatment, while others grow slowly, if at all, and can be managed conservatively with a system of careful monitoring called active surveillance. It is important to learn the characteristics of your cancer before making treatment decisions. There are many ways to determine prostate cancer risk, most of which incorporate information from several parameters, including the PSA, Gleason score and tumor extent .

Screening For Prostate Cancer

There are no tests available with sufficient accuracy to screen populations of men for early signs of prostate cancer. However, early detection and treatment can significantly improve prostate cancer survival.

The test most commonly used to aid early detection of prostate cancer is the prostate specific antigen blood test. This is not a diagnostic test as it can only indicate changes in the prostate. If you are concerned about prostate cancer you should talk to your doctor and make an informed choice about whether to have one of the tests designed to find early signs of prostate cancer, in view of the potential risks and benefits.

There are no proven measures to prevent prostate cancer.

How Prostate Cancer Is Diagnosed And Staged

Cancer staging helps you and your doctor understand how advanced your cancer is and how much it has spread at the time of diagnosis. Knowing your cancer stage also helps your doctor determine the best treatment options for you and estimate your chance of survival.

The most widely used staging system for cancer is the TNM system that classifies cancer from stage 1 to stage 4.

TNM stands for:

Tumor: the size and extent of the tumor
Nodes: the number or extent of nearby lymph node involvement
Metastasis: whether cancer has spread to distant sites in the body

The TNM scale is used for many types of cancer. When a doctor uses it to determine your prostate cancer stage, theyll consider several other factors as well, including:

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The Test Is Often Not Needed

Most men with high PSAs dont have prostate cancer. Their high PSAs might be due to:

An enlarged prostate gland.
Recent sexual activity.
A recent, long bike ride.

Up to 25% of men with high PSAs may have prostate cancer, depending on age and PSA level. But most of these cancers do not cause problems. It is common for older men to have some cancer cells in their prostate glands. These cancers are usually slow to grow. They are not likely to spread beyond the prostate. They usually dont cause symptoms, or death.

Studies show that routine PSA tests of 1,000 men ages 55 to 69 prevent one prostate cancer death. But the PSA also has risks.

What Are The Warning Signs And Symptoms Of Colon Cancer

Colorectal cancer may not present any significant signs or symptoms in its early stages, making it all the more important to stay up-to-date on your colon health and get screened regularly.

According to the American Cancer Society, a polyp can take as long as 10 to 15 years to develop into cancer. Therefore, symptoms often only start appearing once a tumour grows and affects the surrounding organs and tissues. The early signs of colorectal cancer are often similar to other health conditions, including anemia and irritable bowel syndrome.

Dr. Monika Krzyzanowska, a medical oncologist at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, says one of the early signs of the disease is a change in bowel habits.

” may not be going as often as they usually do,” she tells Yahoo Canada over the phone. “The calibre of your stool may change. For example, it can become thinner or more narrow.”

Krzyzanowska notes that abdominal pain, bleeding and unexplained weight loss are causes for concern, alongside iron-deficiency anemia.

“One of the things people may not know is iron-deficiency anemia,” she says. “They may be feeling tired, go see their family doctor, and are found to be anemic. This can sometimes be an initial presentation of colon cancer.”

Other signs or symptoms of colorectal cancer may include:

Blood in the stool
Pain or discomfort in the rectum
Bleeding from the rectum

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Are There Complications Of Prostate Cancer And Treatment

Treatments can cause side effects, including:

Erectile dysfunction: More than 3 in every 4 men have problems with getting and keeping an erection after surgery. However, this can be minimised using nerve-sparing surgery techniques. Erectile dysfunction is also common after radiation therapy and ADT. There are effective treatments for erection problems.
Poor bladder control : 5% to 10% of men have problems with urine leakage within one year after prostate removal.
Urinary urgency: Radiation therapy can cause damage around the prostate, making you feel like going to the toilet more often.

Men who take ADT may also experience a reduced sex drive and hormone-related effects such as hot flushes, tiredness and sweating, loss of body hair and osteoporosis. ADT can also result in reduced muscle strength, an increased risk of getting heart disease and memory loss.

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When To See Your Doctor About Prostate Cancer Symptoms

Talk to your doctor if:

You have trouble urinating or find that urination is painful or different from usual. Your doctor should check your prostate gland to see whether it is enlarged, inflamed with an infection, or cancerous.
You have pain that doesnât go away in your lower back, pelvis, upper thighbones, or other bones.
You lose weight for no clear reason.
You have swelling in your legs.
You have weakness in your legs or a hard time walking, especially if you also have constipation.

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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
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:

How To Boost Your Prostate Cancer Protection

10 Warning Signs of Prostate Cancer

Theres no one specific diet or lifestyle that will prevent you from getting prostate cancer. However, a number of different dietary and health habits , might help boost your protection against the disease. In addition to this, avoiding or limiting sugary drinks and alcohol, getting regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, and limiting processed foods will help protect against cancers in general .

Risks And Causes Of Prostate Cancer

The cause of the majority of prostate cancers is unknown. However, the risk of developing prostate cancer may be slightly increased with the following:

Increasing age Prostate cancer is quite rare in men under 50.

Family history If your father or brother is diagnosed with prostate cancer you are two to three times more likely to get prostate cancer yourself. If they had it at a young age your risk is greater still.

*Genetics Men who carry a faulty BRCA2 gene are at higher risk of developing prostate cancer. To learn more about the BRCA gene in men, click here.

Diet the Western diet, which is rich in fats and low in fibre, may increase risk.

Race African-American and African-Caribbean men are more at risk than other ethnic groups.

Click here for more information about risks factors and causes of prostate cancer.

Does It Matter Where Treatment Is Performed

A large body of evidence shows that in the case of surgery for prostate cancer, surgical experience matters greatly. Medical centers and surgeons performing a high number of prostatectomies per year demonstrate better outcomes in terms of both cancer control and quality of life than those performing relatively low numbers. We don’t have similar data regarding radiation outcomes, but performing brachytherapy well certainly requires expertise and experience, particularly in prostate ultrasound. Planning and administering EBRT effectively has many subtleties, which likely translate to better outcomes with more experienced doctors. No matter what the practice volume of specific surgeons or radiation oncologists, they should be able to discuss their own demonstrated outcomes both in terms of cancer control and quality of life.

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Who Should Have Focal Therapy

Candidates for focal therapy must be carefully selected, most often based on well-performed, image-guided biopsy techniques . Patients with intermediate-grade tumors visible in a single location on imaging may be considered for focal therapy. Low-grade cancers can be treated this way but are usually more suitable for active surveillance. Some doctors feel that cancer close to the urethra can also be treated in this fashion, but there may be a higher risk of side effects or incomplete treatment. Some feel that additional candidates for focal therapy include patients with one dominant tumor as described above and a microfocus of low-grade disease elsewhere. These smaller cancer foci are followed through active surveillance.

Results of ablation therapies to date have been favorable, but the experience and time of follow-up are still limited. In addition, these patients must be evaluated carefully to avoid undertreating their cancer, and after treatment, they need to have periodic imaging, PSA assessment and at least one follow-up biopsy.

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Tests At The Hospital

Tackling the topic of mens reproductive cancers

Your GP will refer you to hospital if they think you need more tests. You may have tests at a Rapid Access Prostate Clinic. These are special clinics set up to reduce waiting times for prostate cancer testing. Find out more about Rapid Access Prostate Clinics.

Tests you might have include:

Mp-MRI This is a type of MRI scan that creates more detailed pictures of your prostate than a standard MRI. It may be done before you have a biopsy to help your doctors decide where to take samples of cells from.
Trans-rectal ultrasound An ultrasound probe is put into your back passage. It uses sound waves to produce pictures of your prostate.
Prostate biopsy A sample of the cells is taken from the prostate through your back passage using a needle. The cells are looked at under a microscope in the lab to see if there are any cancer cells. The biopsy can be done during the TRUS.
Template biopsyA template biopsy takes more samples than a TRUS biopsy. It is done through the skin between your testicles and back passage . You doctor may recommend this test if your biopsy results show no sign of cancer but your doctor is still suspicious.

A urologist is a doctor who specialises in treating prostate, bladder and kidney problems.

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Early Signs Of Prostate Cancer

There are no warning signs of early prostate cancer. You canÃ¢t feel the growing tumor pushing against anything else, so thereÃ¢s no pain. You can have the disease for years and not know it. ThatÃ¢s why regular prostate cancer screenings are so important.

If youÃ¢re a Black man, early screening for prostate cancer is particularly important as youÃ¢re 2.5 times more likely to die from prostate cancer than your non-Hispanic white peers. In a large study by JAMA Oncology, results pointed to factors such as access to quality health care as to why this may be the case.

If youÃ¢re nonbinary or gender expansive, you should still be aware of potential risks of prostate cancer, particularly for transgender women. Significant studies are lacking, but it is still possible to be diagnosed with prostate cancer. So screening, especially if you have symptoms or a family history of cancer, could be a helpful decision.

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What Questions Should I Ask My Healthcare Provider

If you have prostate cancer, you may want to ask your healthcare provider:

Why did I get prostate cancer?
What is my Gleason score? What is my Grade Group? What do these numbers mean for me?
Has the cancer spread outside of the prostate gland?
What is the best treatment for the stage of prostate cancer I have?
If I choose active surveillance, what can I expect? What signs of cancer should I look out for?
What are the treatment risks and side effects?
Is my family at risk for developing prostate cancer? If so, should we get genetic tests?
Am I at risk for other types of cancer?
What type of follow-up care do I need after treatment?
Should I look out for signs of complications?

A note from Cleveland Clinic

Prostate cancer is a common cancer that affects males. Most prostate cancers grow slowly and remain in the prostate gland. For a small number, the disease can be aggressive and spread quickly to other parts of the body. Men with slow-growing prostate cancers may choose active surveillance. With this approach, you can postpone, and sometimes completely forego, treatments. Your healthcare provider can discuss the best treatment option for you based on your Gleason score and Group Grade.

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Questions To Ask Your Doctor Or Nurse

What type of hormone therapy are you offering me and why?
Are there other treatments I can have?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of my treatment?
What treatments and support are available to help manage side effects?
Are there any lifestyle changes that might help me manage my cancer, symptoms, or side effects?
How often will I have check-ups and what will this involve?
How will we know if my cancer starts to grow again?
What other treatments are available if that happens?
Can I join any clinical trials?
If I have any questions or get any new symptoms, who should I contact?

For Connecting And Sharing During A Cancer Journey

How I found out I have Prostate Cancer. This video could save your life.

Anyone with cancer, their caregivers, families, and friends, can benefit from help and support. The American Cancer Society offers the Cancer Survivors Network , a safe place to connect with others who share similar interests and experiences. We also partner with CaringBridge, a free online tool that helps people dealing with illnesses like cancer stay in touch with their friends, family members, and support network by creating their own personal page where they share their journey and health updates.

Signs Of Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men. Here are some symptoms to look out for:

feeling a need to urinate frequently or urgently and being unable to control it
needing to go more often than usual but not producing much urine upon release
having a weak or interrupted flow of urine when at rest

If you have any of these symptoms consult a urologist without delay! The earlier you catch this disease, the better chance there is of fully recovering.

Surgery For Prostate Cancer

There are many types of surgery for prostate cancer. Some are done to try to cure the cancer others are done to control the cancer or make symptoms better. Talk to the doctor about the kind of surgery planned and what you can expect.

Side effects of surgery

Any type of surgery can have risks and side effects. Be sure to ask the doctor what you can expect. If you have problems, let your doctors know so they can help you.

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Genetic And Genomic Tests For Localized Prostate Cancer

Genetic testing

A man’s inherited genes predict his prostate cancer risk. For a long time, we have known that there is a family risk in prostate cancer. If your father or brother has prostate cancer, or your mother or sister has breast or ovarian cancer, you are at higher risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer. To partially quantify that genetic risk, a germline test can be performed before a biopsy. This test of DNA from healthy cells can determine whether you have inherited genetic mutations, such as BRCA1 and BRCA2, known to increase prostate cancer risk. If the test shows you’re low risk, you may be able to avoid a biopsy even if you have a slightly elevated PSA, while still being actively monitored for prostate cancer.

Genomic testing

If already diagnosed with prostate cancer, you may undergo another type of test for assessing your genetic risk. A genomic test of tissue from your biopsy or prostatectomy can look for somatic mutations, alterations in the DNA of the cancer cells themselves. Genomic tests measure expression of various genes that relate to how aggressive a cancer is likely to be. They indicate how rapidly cancer cells are growing and how genetically abnormal they are relative to normal cells.

Other Symptoms Of Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer can grow slowly, especially in older men. Symptoms may be mild and occur over many years. Sometimes the first symptoms are from prostate cancer which has spread to your bones but this is not common. Prostate cancer cells in the bone may cause pain in your back, hips, pelvis or other bony areas. Cancer that has spread to other areas of the body is called metastatic or secondary prostate cancer.

Other symptoms that may occur are weight loss, particularly in elderly men, and difficulty getting an erection .