Is Frequent Urination A Sign Of Prostate Cancer

Can Frequent Urination Be Controlled Or Stopped

Frequent urination can be controlled, and often, stopped over time and with treatment. Your healthcare provider will usually start by determining the cause of your symptom. If the condition can be treated, you should see a decrease in how often you need to urinate. Treatment depends completely on the condition. In cases like a UTI, you may need an antibiotic medication. This may be prescribed by your healthcare provider and you should feel better once you have finished the medication. Other conditions like diabetes or prostate problems will require a trip to see a specialist. The specialist will work with you to manage your symptoms and improve your daily routine. If your healthcare provider has diagnosed you with overactive bladder syndrome, pelvic floor physical therapy may help and there are actually several medications that can be used to calm your bladder. Talk to your healthcare provider about whether or not these might be good options for you.

Problems With Enlarged Prostate Gland

Benign enlargement of the prostate gland is more common as men get older. It can cause troublesome symptoms, although it doesnt always.

The urethra passes through the prostate gland, so men may have problems urinating if the enlarged gland restricts the flow of urine. If the flow stops completely, a catheter is required to empty the bladder. It is rare for this form of acute urinary retention to cause kidney damage.

An enlarged prostate doesn’t always cause urinary problems. Studies indicate that the size of a man’s prostate gland has little influence on the type or severity of his urination problems. BPH is just one possible cause of urinary symptoms.

Another cause of urinary symptoms can be changes to the muscular wall of the bladder, which may cause spasms of the bladder or weaken the bladder, causing problems passing urine.

Advanced Prostate Cancer Symptoms

Men with advanced prostate cancer may experience additional symptoms. Thats because the cancer has spread from the prostate to other parts of the body, such as the bones or lymph nodes.

A wide range of treatment options are available for managing advanced cancer. These treatments kill cancer cells, but they may also help patients manage pain.

Signs of metastatic prostate cancer may include:

• Swelling in legs or pelvic area
• Numbness or pain in the hips, legs or feet
• Bone pain that persists or leads to fractures

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What Can You Do To Prevent Prostate Cancer

The high lifetime risks of prostate cancer development, the morbidities associated with treatment of established prostate cancer, and the inability to eradicate life-threatening metastatic prostate cancer offer compelling reasons for prostate cancer prevention.

However, because the cause of prostate cancer is uncertain, preventing prostate cancer may not be possible. Certain risk factors, such as age, race, sex, and family history, cannot be changed. Nevertheless, because diet and other lifestyle factors have been implicated as a potential cause, living a healthy lifestyle may afford some protection.

• Proper nutrition, such as limiting intake of foods high in animal fats and increasing the amount of fruits, vegetables, and grains, may help reduce the risk of prostate cancer.
• The following supplements should NOT be used to prevent prostate cancer:
• Vitamin E

5-alpha reductase Inhibitors :

The Top 7 Signs Of Advanced Prostate Cancer

In the early stages, you may not notice any symptoms related to prostate cancer. This is why screenings are important. Symptoms can sometimes be noticed for the first time when the cancer advances.

Advanced prostate cancer, also called metastatic cancer, means the cancer has spread to other areas of your body beyond your prostate gland. The most common areas for prostate cancer to spread are your bladder, rectum, and bones. It can also spread to your lymph nodes, liver, lungs, and other body tissues.

Whether youve just been diagnosed or youre in treatment, its also important to know the signs of advanced cancer. Cancer can behave differently depending on your genetics, so not every person will experience the same symptoms in the same way.

Read on to learn more about the seven top symptoms of advanced prostate cancer and how to spot them.

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What Is Radical Prostatectomy For Prostate Cancer

Radical prostatectomy is the surgical removal of the entire prostate. This operation is indicated for cancer that is limited to the prostate and has not invaded the capsule of the prostate, any other nearby structures or lymph nodes, or distant organs.

Quality of life after radical prostatectomy:

The complications of most concern to men who undergo these procedures are urinary incontinence and impotence, which are due to operative damage to the urinary sphincter and penile nerves. The frequency of incontinence and erectile dysfunction depends in part upon the experience and expertise of the surgeon.

Transurethral resection of the prostate is an alternative to radical prostatectomy.

• Only part of the prostate is removed by an instrument inserted through the urethra.
• An electric current passes through a small wire loop at the end of the instrument. The electrical current cuts away a piece of the prostate.
• This procedure is used to remove tissue that is blocking urine flow in patients with extensive disease or those that are not fit enough to undergo radical prostatectomy. It is not considered a procedure for cure.

Tips For Coping With An Enlarged Prostate

When a man reaches about age 25, his prostate begins to grow. This natural growth is called benign prostatic hyperplasia and it is the most common cause of prostate enlargement. BPH is a benign condition that does not lead to prostate cancer, though the two problems can coexist.

Although 50% to 60% of men with BPH may never develop any symptoms, others find that BPH can make life miserable. The symptoms of BPH include:

• a hesitant, interrupted, weak urine stream
• urgency, leaking, or dribbling
• a sense of incomplete emptying
• more frequent urination, especially at night.

As a result, many men seek treatment. The good news is that treatments are constantly being improved. Patients and their physicians now have more medications to choose from, so if one doesnt do the trick, another can be prescribed. And thanks to some refinements, surgical treatments are more effective and have fewer side effects than ever before.

But there are some things men dealing with BPH can do on their own. When symptoms are not particularly bothersome, watchful waiting may be the best way to proceed. This involves regular monitoring to make sure complications arent developing, but no treatment. For more troubling symptoms, most doctors begin by recommending a combination of lifestyle changes and medication. Often this will be enough to relieve the worst symptoms and prevent the need for surgery

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Different Signs + Different Men = Difficult To Diagnose

Symptoms of prostate cancer can be different for each man, and any of the symptoms can be due to other less serious conditions. This makes diagnosing prostate cancer more difficult for doctors, so screenings are necessary.

This walnut sized gland is needed for sperm to travel to its destination, so its pretty important. It gets larger over time, but that doesnt necessarily mean a man has cancer.

If you have some of the warning signs, it doesnt necessarily mean you have cancer, while at the same time you can be diagnosed with prostate cancer without any of the signs. This is confusing and frustrating for both doctors and patients.

There are few, if any, early signs but there are certain signals that indicate something is wrong.

Is The Urgent Need To Urinate A Symptom Of Bladder Cancer

Some patients diagnosed with bladder cancer have this symptom, or other irritative bladder symptoms such as urinating more frequently than usual or experiencing pain before, during, or after urinating. Between 20% and 30% of patients diagnosed with bladder cancer experience irritative bladder symptoms.

In most patients who are diagnosed with bladder cancer, the bladder cancer cells start to grow in the lining of the bladder, where they can gather together and form tumors. This can cause problems and changes in urination, including the urgent need to urinate even if the bladder is not full. However, many patients diagnosed with bladder cancer do not have this symptom. The most common symptom of bladder cancer is blood in the urine that is easily visible, which around 80% to 90% of patients experience.

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What Is The Prostate

The prostate is a small gland in men that helps make semen. Located just below the bladder in front of the rectum, it wraps around the tube that carries urine and semen out of the body. It tends to grow larger as you get older. If your prostate gets too large, it can cause a number of health issues.

What Is Frequent Urination

Frequent urination means that you have to urinate more often than you usually do.1,3 This symptom can result from an overactive bladder or a weak bladder. Frequent urination is a symptom that affects both men and women. When a patient needs to urinate frequently at night, the medical term is nocturia.

On average, a healthy adult generally needs to urinate around 4 to 8 times during a day. Talk with your healthcare provider if you need to urinate more often than that on a daily basis, or if you find yourself needing to urinate more often every day than you usually do.

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Early Warning Signs Of Bladder Cancer

Blood in the urine : This is typically the first sign of bladder cancer. It may be present on a regular basis or disappear and reappear over the course of days or weeks. Sometimes blood is present in such a small amount that it cant be seen with the naked eye, called microscopic hematuria, buta urine test may be able to detect it.

Even a small amount of blood may cause the color of urine to change to orange, pink or, rarely, dark red. When blood causes urines color to change, its called gross hematuria.

Early-stage bladder cancer doesn’t usually cause pain or other symptoms besides bleeding. But blood in the urine doesn’t always mean there’s a tumor in the bladder. It’s more likely to be caused by a less serious condition, such as an infection. kidney stones, bladder stones, or noncancerous tumors or kidney diseases.

Its also important to note that blood from menstruation may show up in a womans urine test, which may cause a false-positive test result. In this case, doctors may recommend repeating the test.

Urination changes: Changes in urination are more commonly a sign of a less serious condition, such as a benign tumor, infection, urinary tract infection, bladder stones, an overactive bladder or, in men, an enlarged prostate. But they also may be another early sign of bladder cancer symptoms. These changes may include:

What Is Evaluation Of The Primary Tumor In Prostate Cancer

Evaluation of the tumor :

• TX: Cannot evaluate the primary tumor.
• T0: No evidence of tumor.
• T1: Tumor present but not detectable clinically or with imaging.
• T1a: The tumor was incidentally found in less than 5% of prostate tissue resected .
• T1b: The tumor was incidentally found in greater than 5% of prostate tissue resected.
• T1c: The tumor was found in a needle biopsy performed due to an elevated serum PSA.

T2: The tumor can be felt on examination but has not spread outside the prostate.

T2a: The tumor is in half or less than half of one of the prostate gland’s two lobes.

T2b: The tumor is in more than half of one lobe but not both.

T2c: The tumor is in both lobes.

T3: The tumor has spread through the prostatic capsule .

T3a: The tumor has spread through the capsule on one or both sides.

T3b: The tumor has invaded one or both seminal vesicles.

T4: The tumor has invaded other nearby structures.

It should be stressed that the designation “T2c” implies a tumor which is palpable in both lobes of the prostate. Tumors which are found to be bilateral on biopsy only but are not palpable bilaterally should not be staged as T2c.

Evaluation of the regional lymph nodes :

• NX: The regional lymph nodes cannot be evaluated.
• N0: There has been no spread to the regional lymph nodes.
• N1: There has been spread to the regional lymph nodes.

Evaluation of distant metastasis :

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Beware Frequent Urination Could Be A Sign Of Prostate Disease

Dr Manish Ahuja, Consultant Urologist, explains some of the frequent signs and symptoms of prostate disease.

Prostatic diseases are common among ageing men causing significant morbidity. The prostate problem can be led due to the current circumstances like ageing, weather change, travel or business-related stress, the water of different places, etc. However, due to the sedentary lifestyle and an increase in age. As men get older, the quality of life gets hampered as the prostate gland enlargement, can be caused due to lower urinary tract symptoms. Research data from India show that almost 65% of men aged 40 years and above suffered from these annoying symptoms as per research data from India. Then why most of these patients are unseen?

What Are The Prostate Cancer Treatments

Overview

• Treatments for prostate cancer are generally effective in most men. Different treatment options are indicated depending on the severity of the disease.
• Treatment for localized prostate cancer include:
• Active surveillance

Treatment for advanced disease includes:

Hormonal therapy

A combination of factors defines the severity of the disease or the prognosis .

Specifically these factors include:

Tumor stage, defined by the extent of the disease given by TNM staging.

Tumor grade, defined by the pathologists report on the biopsies or surgical specimen given by the Gleason score.

PSA value .

In addition, the therapeutic plan takes into consideration potential benefits vs. side effects of the treatment but also individual factors including the patient’s biological — as opposed to their chronological — age as well as the presence or absence of comorbidities .

A man’s treatment plan should be tailored to his individual case and it may be adjusted according to his expectations, specific needs, and feelings about the different options available.

It is important that a man understands and discusses his treatment plan with his medical team and specifically with his urologist and/or oncologist .

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International Prostate Symptom Score

Youll be asked to complete a questionnaire to assess your symptoms. Each question has five possible answers that carry a score, and your overall score is used to assess the severity of your symptoms.

The checklist includes the following questions.

Over the past month:

• How often have you had the sensation of not completely emptying your bladder after urinating?
• How often have you had to urinate again less than two hours after finishing urinating?
• How often have you found that you stopped and started again when urinating?
• How often have you found it difficult to postpone urination?
• How often have you had a weak stream of urine?
• How often have you had to push or strain to begin urinating during the course of one night?
• How often have you had to get up during the night to urinate?

After your GP has assessed the severity your symptoms, theyll aim to rule out other conditions with similar symptoms using certain tests.

How Do I Know If Its Frequent Urination

The characteristics of frequent urination are easy to spot. If you feel the need to pee more than four to eight times in one day, odds are that you have issues with frequent urination. Your healthcare provider may ask you a few questions to confirm this symptom. These could include questions like:

• What medicines are you taking?
• How much fluid do you usually drink?
• Are you drinking more than usual?
• Do you drink alcohol or caffeine?

During a visit, the healthcare provider may also take a urine sample to test for bacteria and white blood cells. UTIs are typically discovered this way. An ultrasound could be used to look for tumors or other structural issues that might be causing frequent urination. Another test you may have is a cystoscopy, which is used to look inside your bladder.

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What Is Hormone Therapy For Prostate Cancer

Prostate cells are physiologically dependent on male hormones called androgens. Androgens cause hormonal stimulation of the prostate cancer cells causing them to grow, function, and proliferate. Testosterone, although not directly carcinogenic, is essential for the growth and perpetuation of tumor cells. The tests are the source of most androgens. The goal of hormonal therapy is to lower levels of testosterone or to stop testosterone from working. This can be achieved with surgery or with drug treatment. Often, the initial response is good, but cancer may progress over time.

Androgen deprivation therapy: This therapy is likely to be used in cases in which the cancer has spread to distant regions. Therefore, it is not currently used among the standard options for men with localized prostate disease. It may be added to surgery and radiation in cases at high risk for relapse due to high Gleason score and/or positive surgical margins.

Antiandrogen monotherapy: Antiandrogens bind to androgen receptors and competitively inhibit their interaction with male hormones .

Unlike medical castration, antiandrogen therapy does not decrease luteinizing hormone levels and androgen production. Rather, testosterone levels are normal or increased. Thus, men treated with antiandrogen monotherapy do not have the full spectrum of side effects attributable to low levels of testosterone, and many maintain some degree of potency.

The most common agents are flutamide , bicalutamide and nilutamide.

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

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