I Think I Have Prostate Cancer

Some Early Signs Of Prostate Cancer

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

Some potential early signs of prostate cancer include the following:

Frequent urination, especially at night

In addition, there can be weak and interrupted urine flow, unusual pain around the prostate when sitting, swelling in the lower back, feet, and legs, abnormal bowel function or urinary habits, and weight loss.

Each additional symptom you have could indicate a problem, so do not delay in scheduling a screening appointment with Cleveland Urology in Cleveland, OH.

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
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.

What Is The Prognosis For People Who Have Prostate Cancer

Because prostate cancer tends to grow slowly, most men die from something other than the disease. Early detection is key to better outcomes. Almost all men 97% to 98% diagnosed with localized cancer that hasnt spread outside of the prostate live at least five years after diagnosis. When metastatic cancer has spread outside of the gland, one-third of men continue to survive after five years.

How Can I Reduce The Risk Of Getting Prostate Cancer

You may help to reduce your risk and look after your health generally by:

Maintaining a healthy weight by combining a balanced, low fat diet with regular physical activity.

Doing regular exercise Try to do at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity five times or more a week. The more active you are, the more you can reduce the risk.

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12 Signs of Prostate Cancer You Absolutely Need to Know ND2A Content

While you are looking for information about plasma donation through DoNotPay, perhaps you would also like to take a look around at what they have to offer in terms of other services. DoNotPay is now famous for offering these services as well:

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How Do I Decide Whether To Be Screened

Talk to your doctor. Many times, prostate cancer doesnt cause problems or shorten a mans life. Some men would rather not know they have cancer. Think about whether you would want to know. If you think you would want to know if you have prostate cancer, ask yourself whether you would want treatment.

Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of screening and treatment.

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Can Cancer Survivors Donate Blood Or Platelets

Blood products like whole blood and platelets are lifesaving for cancer patients at Dana-Farber and elsewhere. It comes as no surprise, then, that many cancer survivors want to return the favor by donating at the Kraft Family Blood Donor Center, which collects blood products to benefit patients at both Dana-Farber and Brigham and Womens Hospital.

Survivors of solid tumor cancers are eligible to donate blood and platelets beginning one year after they stop taking medication for their cancer however, survivors of blood cancers, including leukemia and lymphoma, and other blood disorders, are permanently deferred due to the nature of their diseases. The timeframe for solid tumor survivors has recently been reduced from five years, as there has never been a report of cancer spreading through blood transfusion. Blood donation does not pose an increased risk to an otherwise healthy cancer survivor one year after treatment has ended.

Some individuals with early stage, localized, solid tumor cancers who have not yet had chemotherapy or radiation, and who feel well, may also be able to donate blood products upon approval from their physician. All blood and platelet donors must also pass the Kraft Centers vital sign screening, hemoglobin check, and medical questionnaire.

Read more:

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How To Involve Your Spouse Or Partner In Your Advanced Prostate Cancer Care

Whether diet can impact either your risk of getting prostate cancer or your prognosis is an area of active study, but there have been few answers so far. Clearer evidence exists with regard to supplements, with the general consensus being that theyre not helpful. The best advice so far: Follow a diet thats good for the heart and focus on whole foods.

What Happens After Blood Donation

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Your blood donation will be taken to a laboratory and will be tested for several things the first is blood type. The different blood types are: A, B, AB, and O. All blood types are eligible for blood donation.

Your blood will also be tested for any potential infections such as:

If your blood is positive to any of the above diseases, you will be notified by the donation center, and your blood will not be able to be used for donation.

Tissue Transplants Are In Great Need But Can You Donate Your Tissues If You Went Through Cancer Treatment

Once again, any cancer survivorâs eligibility for being a tissue or organ donor largely depends on the cancer youâve had and any existing medical conditions you have had to receive treatment for cancer. Accepting tissue or organ donation from individuals with actively spreading cancer upon their death is not recommended by UNOS. However, individuals who have successfully went through cancer treatment will most likely be able to donate organs or tissues, as passing cancer on to an organ or tissue recipient is very small.

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Tissue donation is also a vital part of cancer research. Even if you canât donate your tissue directly to a recipient, there is a good possibility that your tissue could be used as part of a cancer research study. Research donations are vital to the medical community as they help increase knowledge of the disease and help uncover new cancer treatment methods. Tissue donation can provide so much to both recipients and the medical community as a whole.

Complementary And Alternative Medicine

There is an important distinction between complementary therapies and alternative therapies.

Complementary therapies, such as exercise and diet changes, are undertaken in addition to conventional medical treatments. Health care providers are often supportive of complementary therapies, depending on your particular situation.
Alternative therapies are undertaken instead of conventional medical treatments. Some of these may be helpful for some people, but most are not well-studied and none are well-regulated. Misleading websites and false advertising abound. You should be extremely careful about choosing nonstandard treatments instead of treatments that have been evaluated in clinical trials with published results.

Many therapies can fall into either category. Some interfere with standard medical treatment or cause serious side effects, so be sure to inform your doctor if you are considering any of these therapies. Lifestyle changes are likely to be helpful in both reducing the risk of getting prostate cancer and controlling its progression. UCSF is a leader in coordinating clinical trials of diet, exercise and stress in patients with prostate cancer. In addition, every prostate cancer patient treated at UCSF receives access to a nutritionist or dietitian to help in planning a healthy diet and to address dietary issues that may arise during treatment.

Consult A Doctor To Learn More About Your Symptoms

If you are experiencing any of the prostate cancer symptoms mentioned above, make an appointment with one of our expert oncologists today. We offer you access to New Jerseys largest network of cancer specialists and the latest treatments available.

To contact one of New Jerseys best prostate cancer specialists call

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How Serious Is My Cancer

If you have prostate cancer, the doctor will want to find out how far it has spread. This is called the stage of the cancer. You may have heard other people say that their cancer was stage 1 or stage 2. Your doctor will want to find out the stage of your cancer to help decide what types of treatment might be best for you.

The stage is based on the growth or spread of the cancer through the prostate, and if it has spread to other parts of your body. It also includes your blood PSA level and the grade of the cancer. The prostate cancer cells are given a grade, based on how they look under a microscope. Those that look very different from normal cells are given a higher grade and are likely to grow faster. The grade of your cancer might be given as a Gleason score or a Grade Group . Ask your doctor to explain the grade of your cancer. The grade also can helpdecide which treatments might be best for you.

Your cancer can be stage 1, 2, 3, or 4. The lower the number, the less the cancer has spread. A higher number, like stage 4, means a more serious cancer that has spread outside the prostate.

If your cancer hasn’t spread to other parts of the body, it might also be given a risk group. The risk group is based on the extent of the cancer in the prostate, your PSA level, and the results of the prostate biopsy. The risk group can help tell if other tests should be done, and what the best treatment options might be.

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Symptoms Of Metastatic Prostate Cancer

Metastatic prostate cancer means that a cancer that began in the prostate gland has spread to another part of the body. It is also called advanced prostate cancer.

If your prostate cancer has spread you might:

feel generally unwell
have weight loss for no known reason

You might have specific symptoms depending on where the cancer has spread to. These symptoms can also be caused by other medical conditions so might not be a sign that the cancer has spread.

Help Save A Life Donate Blood

Our Volunteer Blood Donor Program relies on the support of individuals and area service organizations to provide most of the blood used annually in our medical centers. Our New Jersey blood donation facilities are proud to offer a comfortable atmosphere where donors are treated as an important part of our family. Convenient hours allow donors to schedule evening or weekend appointments and walk-ins are always welcome.

The need for blood is increasing much faster than the number of donors. Your donation of blood can minimize these shortages and help save the life of someone in need. Blood donors may donate for general, replacement, autologous, or designated use. You also can help by volunteering your time in the donor room.

But who can donate blood? If interested in donating, you must:

Be at least 16 years old
Weigh at least 110 pounds
Present photo identification

But you may not donate if you:

Have a history of viral hepatitis at age 11 or older
Are recovering from an infectious illness
Are in a high risk group

There is no danger in donating blood, as sterile, disposable equipment is always used.

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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When Should I Begin Screening For Prostate Cancer

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The decision to screen for prostate cancer is difficult due to differing opinions from many organizations and experts. Unfortunately, the screening test for prostate cancer is not as accurate as those for other cancers, such as breast cancer or colon cancer. The test has frequent false positives and many of the prostate cancers that are found can be so slow-growing, that they will never be a problem. With that said, all organizations recommend taking an individual approach to deciding if and when to screen for prostate cancer. Men should discuss with their primary care doctor to determine the right course of action for them. Below are two major organizations updated prostate cancer screening recommendations:

What About Other Treatments I Hear About

When you have cancer you might hear about other ways to treat the cancer or treat your symptoms. These may not always be standard medical treatments. These treatments may be vitamins, herbs, special diets, and other things. You may wonder about these treatments.

Some of these are known to help, but many have not been tested. Some have been shown not to help. A few have even been found to be harmful. Talk to your doctor about anything youre thinking about using, whether its a vitamin, a diet, or anything else.

Causes Of Prostate Cancer

The causes of prostate cancer are largely unknown. But certain things can increase your risk of developing the condition.

The chances of developing prostate cancer increase as you get older. Most cases develop in men aged 50 or older.

For reasons not yet understood, prostate cancer is more common in black men and less common in Asian men.

Men whose father or brother were affected by prostate cancer are at slightly increased risk themselves.

Recent research also suggests that obesity increases the risk of prostate cancer.

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How The Prostate Changes As You Age

Because the prostate gland tends to grow larger with age, it may squeeze the urethra and cause problems in passing urine. Sometimes men in their 30s and 40s may begin to have these urinary symptoms and need medical attention. For others, symptoms aren’t noticed until much later in life. An infection or a tumor can also make the prostate larger. Be sure to tell your doctor if you have any of the urinary symptoms listed below.

Tell your doctor if you have these urinary symptoms:

Are passing urine more during the day
Have an urgent need to pass urine
Have less urine flow
Feel burning when you pass urine
Need to get up many times during the night to pass urine

Growing older raises your risk of prostate problems. The three most common prostate problems are inflammation , enlarged prostate , and prostate cancer.

One change does not lead to another. For example, having prostatitis or an enlarged prostate does not increase your risk of prostate cancer. It is also possible for you to have more than one condition at the same time.

Types Of Imaging Studies

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If your healthcare provider suspects your cancer might be spreading, they will likely order more imaging tests. A common imaging workup may include a bone scan and a CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis. An MRI might be done as well. Some research centers are also using magnetic MRIs or PET scans to further refine the staging of prostate cancer.

Prostate Cancer Doctor Discussion Guide

Get our printable guide for your next doctorâs appointment to help you ask the right questions.

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Whats The Deal With The Prostate

The prostate gland is a little lump of tissue about the size of a plum thats situated right behind your male reproductive organs. According to my friend who is a word origins expert, Jess Zafarris, author of Once Upon a Word, prostate comes from the Greek prostats, meaning leader, ruler, or guardian, or more literally, one standing in front, because it stands in front of the bladder.

In any case, as with many reproductive parts of the human body, once youre done reproducing, your prostate is out of warranty from an evolutionary perspective, so your genes dont care if it malfunctions. An amazing one out of eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point, and it is the second leading cause of cancer death in American men, behind lung cancer.

While that is scary, prostate cancer is a very slow-growing cancer. Lots of older men get it, but its a truism in the field that more men die with prostate cancer than of prostate cancer. How can that be? Its because while a whole lot of men get prostate cancer, those men tend to be fairly old, and they get even older and die of something else before the slow-moving prostate cancer gets out of control.