Early prostate cancer usually causes no symptoms. Sometimes, however, prostate cancer does cause symptoms, often similar to those of diseases such as benign prostatic hyperplasia. Prostate symptoms (sintomas prostata) may include; trouble starting and stopping while voiding, burning during urination, frequent urination, urinary retention, and blood in urine both microscopic hematuria and gross hematuria (sangre orina).
Prostate cancer is associated with urinary dysfunction as the prostate gland surrounds the prostatic urethra. Changes within the gland, therefore, directly affect urinary function. Because the vas deferens deposits seminal fluid into the prostatic urethra, and secretions from the prostate gland itself are included in semen content, prostate cancer may also cause problems with sexual function and performance, such as difficulty achieving erection or painful ejaculation.
As the prostate enlarges due to cancer or another problem, the urethra is pinched tighter and tighter within the prostate. As the tube narrows, urine has a much harder time making its way through the urethra and out of the body.
This results in four primary urinary symptoms:
Frequency - urinating much more often than normal.
Urgency - having a sensation that you need to urinate immediately.
Nocturia - getting up to urinate multiple times during the night.
Hesitancy - difficulty starting the urine stream.
All of these symptoms are a direct result of the urethra being pinched closed by the enlarged prostate.
The urinary symptoms discussed above are undoubtedly the most common symptoms experienced by men with prostate cancer. However, they are not the only ones. Other less common symptoms include:
Blood in the urine.
Blood in the semen.
New-onset erectile dysfunction (impotence).
Bone pain (especially in the lower back, hips, or ribs).
Loss of bladder control.
These symptoms are less specific to problems with the prostate (meaning that problems with other organs such as the bladder can also cause them). However, they are important symptoms of which to be aware.
Prostate cancer when first diagnosed is categorized by the extent to which the prostate cancer has reached. This is called staging and there are four stages.
Prostate cancer stage I is microscopic in size and it cannot be felt by the doctor in a digital rectal exam.
Prostate cancer stage II can be felt by the doctor as a lump in the prostate but is still contained inside of the prostate.
Prostate cancer stage III has spread out past the prostate into tissue that is close to the prostate such as the seminal vesicles.
Prostate cancer stage IV has metastasized into other organs such as the lymph nodes, bones, and lungs.
Men can look to their risk factors that may increase their chance of getting prostate cancer which may give them reasons to make sure they get their medical checkups. The risk factors include: age, since men over 65 years old are the bulk of prostate cancer patients. The age for prostate cancer screening which means getting a digital rectal exam and PSA tests ranges from 40 years old (if you have risk factors) to getting the prostate cancer screening every 2 years in men from 50 to 69 years old. Black men have both a higher risk of getting prostate cancer and they also have mortality rates that are 3 times higher than Caucasian men. Prostate cancer screening should start at 40 years of age.
Posted on 2:28 AM / 2
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