Al Roker, Shannon Sharpe Early Prostate Cancer Screening, Black Men
Prostate Cancer: 10 Signs And Symptoms - Health
Prostate cancer usually does not cause symptoms in the early stages. Signs of prostate cancer can include frequent urination, weak or interrupted urine stream, painful ejaculation, blood in urine or semen, and erectile dysfunction as the disease progresses.
It doesn't necessarily mean you have prostate cancer if you have these symptoms. Other conditions that affect the prostate, such as benign prostatic hyperplasia (enlarged prostate), cause similar symptoms.
HeroImages / Getty Images
The prostate is a walnut-sized gland located in the lower pelvis in front of the rectum and just below the bladder in the male reproductive system. The prostate wraps around the urethra, a tube that empties urine from the bladder. A tumor can press on or constrict the urethra, causing frequent urination, urinary urgency, and difficulty urinating. Frequent Urination and Nocturia Frequent urination is the need to urinate more than usual. Most people don't know how many times they urinate each day. People with prostate cancer may notice they are making more bathroom trips than normal. Nocturia, or excessive nighttime urination, is when you wake up more than once a night to urinate. The body slows down urine production at night, which allows most people to sleep between six to eight hours without waking to use the bathroom. Nocturia can be a symptom of prostate cancer, but there are many other causes, such as aging. Urinary Urgency Prostate cancer can cause a sudden, overwhelming need to urinate right away. Urinary urgency can make it difficult to "hold it" and may be accompanied by discomfort in the bladder or urinary tract. Difficulty Urinating Having trouble urinating, known as urinary hesitancy, can include problems with starting the stream of urine, a weak or slow stream, or a stream that frequently starts and stops. Feeling like the bladder is not completely emptied and dribbling (leaking) urine are also possible signs of prostate cancer. Other symptoms of prostate cancer may also occur. These less common symptoms include painful ejaculation, blood in the urine or semen, and erectile dysfunction. Painful Ejaculation Pain during or immediately after ejaculation can be a sign of prostate cancer. You may feel pain in the penis, testes, rectum, or lower abdomen. Painful ejaculations range from mild discomfort to excruciating and may last a few seconds or longer. Blood in the Urine or Semen Blood in the urine (hematuria) or in the semen (hematospermia) can occur when a tumor in the prostate gland presses on the urethra or surrounding glands and blood vessels. A tumor can irritate or block these structures, causing blood to appear in urine or semen. Sudden Onset Erectile Dysfunction Erectile dysfunction is when it is difficult to get or keep an erection. Aging is a common cause, but it is typically gradual in onset. Sudden onset erectile dysfunction, in contrast, may be a sign of prostate cancer. This can occur when a tumor compresses or damages nerves that control blood flow to the penis. Other symptoms can occur if the cancer has metastasized (spread) outside of the prostate. Advanced symptoms include pain, swelling in the legs or feet, unintentional weight loss, and numbness and weakness. Pain in the Back, Hips, or Chest The bones are almost always the first part of the body affected when prostate cancer spreads. This is known as bone metastases. Cancer can spread to any area of the body, but the back, hips, and ribs are the most common sites of bone metastases. Swelling in the Legs or Feet Swelling in the legs and feet may occur when prostate cancer spreads to the lymph nodes in the pelvis. The lymph nodes are part of the lymphatic system, which collects excess fluid from body tissues and organs, filters it, and returns it back to the bloodstream. Fluid can build up and lead to swelling when cancer cells enter lymph nodes and block lymph drainage channels. Unintentional Weight Loss Unintentional weight loss is often a sign of advanced prostate cancer. Cancer cells demand a lot of the body's energy supply, causing the body to burn more calories than normal. Fatigue is common in advanced prostate cancer and can also contribute to weight loss. Numbness and Weakness in Limbs A tumor may compress the spinal cord and cause a range of symptoms when cancer spreads to the spine. Symptoms include numbness, tingling, and weakness in the arms and legs. Loss of control of the bladder and bowel may also occur. This can lead to incontinence (leaking urine or feces) or difficulty emptying the bladder or bowel. See a healthcare provider if you have prostate cancer symptoms. Not everyone who experiences these symptoms has prostate cancer. Other conditions that affect the prostate, such as benign prostatic hyperplasia (enlarged prostate), cause similar symptoms. A healthcare provider can investigate to determine the cause and provide treatment. Prostate cancer is a slow-growing disease that does not usually cause symptoms in the early stages. More advanced prostate cancer may cause symptoms such as frequent urination, a weak urine stream, erectile dysfunction, and blood in the urine or semen. Other prostate conditions, such as an enlarged prostate, cause similar symptoms. It's important to make an appointment with a healthcare provider if you have prostate cancer symptoms. They can find and treat the cause.Thanks for your feedback!
Prostate Cancer: 10 Symptoms You Might Mistake For Something Else
Prostate cancer risk factors include age, family history, and ethnicity. Men over 50 are at higher risk, with the chances increasing significantly after 65. Having a father or brother with prostate cancer doubles your risk. Diets high in red meat and low in fruits and vegetables may also play a role. Obesity, smoking, and sedentary lifestyles are additional contributors. While some risks can't be changed, maintaining a healthy weight, eating a balanced diet, and getting regular check-ups can help with early detection and prevention.
President Biden Has Metastatic Prostate Cancer. Here's What You Should Know
Facebook Tweet Email LinkLink Copied!
Follow
EDITOR'S NOTE: Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt is a urologist and robotic surgeon with Orlando Health and an assistant professor at the University of Central Florida's College of Medicine.
President Joe Biden's diagnosis of metastatic prostate cancer has understandably raised concerns and questions: How long has he had cancer, how will he be treated, and what is his prognosis?
As a urologist, I regularly diagnose prostate cancer in my patients, and each time I share the diagnosis with them and their family, it's never easy. Over time, I've learned the importance of keeping conversations simple and straightforward — avoiding sugar-coating and instead using data, statistics and personal experience to help patients begin their cancer journey.
As his public announcement draws attention to this type of cancer, it's a reminder to regularly check on your own health. Here's what you need to know about metastatic prostate cancer: how it's detected, what treatments look like, and why early screening remains essential for men's health.
The former president's diagnosis began after he experienced "increasing urinary symptoms," his office said, and a prostate nodule was discovered.
The detection of a prostate nodule likely happened during a digital rectal examination (DRE). During a DRE, a doctor gently inserts a finger into the rectum to examine the prostate gland, located directly in front of the rectal wall. A healthy prostate typically feels smooth and symmetrical. A prostate nodule, however, feels firm, raised, and irregular — similar in texture to your knuckles.
Not all prostate nodules indicate cancer — many are benign and associated with conditions enlarged prostate (BPH), or prostate stones (calcifications). However, in Biden's case, further testing — likely including a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test, imaging and biopsy — confirmed prostate cancer. Additional scans revealed that his cancer had spread to his bones, classifying it as high-risk, aggressive metastatic prostate cancer.
"Metastatic" means the cancer cells have spread beyond the original location (the prostate gland) into other areas — most commonly bones and lymph nodes. Biden's cancer has specifically spread to his bones, placing him among the 5% to 7% of prostate cancer cases in the United States that are metastatic at initial diagnosis. While this percentage seems small, it represents a significant number given that over 300,000 men in the US and approximately 1.5 million worldwide are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year.
Early-stage prostate cancer carries an excellent prognosis, with nearly a 100% five-year survival rate. However, when prostate cancer is metastatic at diagnosis, the five-year survival rate drops sharply to around 37%. Importantly, these survival rates are statistical averages, and individual outcomes vary considerably based on overall health, age, cancer aggressiveness, and how well a patient responds to treatment.
For Biden — and all prostate cancer patients — this diagnosis marks the beginning of a highly personalized journey. It remains impossible right now to accurately answer the question, "How long do I have?" Which of course is the question everyone wants answered.
Related articleProstate cancer severity is graded using a Gleason score, which ranges from 6 to 10. Lower scores (6–7) indicate slower-growing, less aggressive cancer cells, while higher scores (8–10) represent aggressive cancers more likely to spread quickly.
Biden's Gleason score of 9 signifies a highly aggressive prostate cancer that usually requires immediate and comprehensive treatment.
In my clinic, the moment of diagnosing advanced prostate cancer is always difficult, evoking fear, uncertainty and many questions. At that moment, I ask the patient to take a deep breath, slow down and work together as we build a care team.
This multidisciplinary team may include specialists from urology, medical oncology, radiation oncology, radiology and supportive care services. Each specialist contributes a unique perspective, helping to create a treatment plan that has the best interest of the patient and their life goals.
Localized prostate cancer can often be cured with treatments such as robotic-assisted prostate removal (prostatectomy) or radiation therapy. However, metastatic prostate cancer treatment shifts from cure to managing symptoms, controlling disease progression and maintaining quality of life. Common treatments for metastatic prostate cancer include:
Advanced treatments effectively control metastatic prostate cancer but often come with side effects affecting daily life. Common side effects include fatigue, changes in sexual function, hot flashes, mood swings, and loss of muscle mass.
Treatment for metastatic prostate cancer depends on several factors: the patient's overall health, age, other medical conditions and personal preferences. President Biden's medical team will carefully personalize his treatment, aligning it closely with his unique health circumstances and quality-of-life goals.
A common question emerging from Biden's diagnosis is whether his cancer could have been detected sooner or if it impacted him during his presidency. The President of the United States gets excellent medical care, and the truth is that we may never know.
Instead of getting stuck on these unanswerable questions, I recommend we refocus on something we can control: our own health. Biden's diagnosis is a powerful reminder of our responsibility and opportunity to proactively manage our health.
As a urologist, I experience daily how unpredictable prostate cancer can be. Some patients show clear signs of the disease, while others surprise even me with aggressive or unexpected cases. Cancer doesn't discriminate, and its trajectory can be uncertain. But one factor we can all control is our approach to prevention and early detection.
Symptoms to watch for are blood in the urine or semen; needing to urinate more often, including waking up at night to urinate; and trouble getting started when urinating. Signs of more advanced disease can also include accidental leaking, pain in the back and bones, fatigue, weight loss and weakness.
Related articleFormer President Biden's experience should be a call to action for us: Schedule regular health checkups, discuss prostate screening with your health-care provider, pay attention to your body's signals, and prioritize overall health.
By shifting the conversation from speculation about someone else's journey to actively engaging in your own, you're investing in the most priceless and valuable asset you have — your health.
Comments
Post a Comment