Prostate cancer
What are the symptoms of prostate cancer?
If you have early prostate cancer (the cancer has not grown much or spread to other parts of your body), then you probably won't have any symptoms.
In fact, most men with prostate cancer do not have symptoms because their cancer has been found at a very early stage by a
PSA test or an
examination of their rectum.
PSA test
A test which measures the amount of a substance called prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, in the blood. The male prostate gland produces PSA to keep semen in a liquid state. When cancer is present, more PSA seeps from the prostate into the blood. The test result will show the level of PSA in a measurement of nanograms (ng) per millilitre (ml) of blood. If your levels of PSA are between 4 ng/ml and 10 ng/ml, you have a 20 percent to 50 percent chance of having cancer. If your PSA levels are above 10 ng/ml, it is highly likely that you have cancer. If you do have cancer, then the higher your level of PSA, the larger your tumour and the more likely it is to have spread.
A test which measures the amount of a substance called prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, in the blood. The male prostate gland produces PSA to keep semen in a liquid state. When cancer is present, more PSA seeps from the prostate into the blood. The test result will show the level of PSA in a measurement of nanograms (ng) per millilitre (ml) of blood. If your levels of PSA are between 4 ng/ml and 10 ng/ml, you have a 20 percent to 50 percent chance of having cancer. If your PSA levels are above 10 ng/ml, it is highly likely that you have cancer. If you do have cancer, then the higher your level of PSA, the larger your tumour and the more likely it is to have spread.
digital rectal exam
The digital rectal exam (DRE) is a test doctors use to check for prostate cancer. If a man's tumor is bigger than half an inch (around 1.5 centimeters), his doctor may be able to feel it through the wall of his rectum. Wearing a medical glove and using a lubricating gel to make the exam more comfortable, the doctor will put a finger into the man's rectum to feel for a lump. This doesn't hurt, but some men find it embarrassing.
The digital rectal exam (DRE) is a test doctors use to check for prostate cancer. If a man's tumor is bigger than half an inch (around 1.5 centimeters), his doctor may be able to feel it through the wall of his rectum. Wearing a medical glove and using a lubricating gel to make the exam more comfortable, the doctor will put a finger into the man's rectum to feel for a lump. This doesn't hurt, but some men find it embarrassing.
You are more likely to get symptoms if and when your cancer grows or spreads. But many prostate cancers grow very slowly.
If you are older, you may never have any symptoms or problems from the disease.
Around 70 percent of men will not have any symptoms, such as pain or problems urinating, for at least the first five years
after doctors find they have prostate cancer. Forty percent are unlikely to have any symptoms after 10 years.
1 Your chance of developing symptoms is greater if you have a higher-grade tumor (a Gleason score of 8 to 10).
Source:
Adolfsson J, Steineck G, Hedlund PO.
Deferred treatment of clinically localized low-grade prostate cancer: actual 10-year and projected 15-year follow-up of the Karolinska series.
Urology. 50(5):722-6, 1997 Nov.
Adolfsson J, Steineck G, Hedlund PO.
Deferred treatment of clinically localized low-grade prostate cancer: actual 10-year and projected 15-year follow-up of the Karolinska series.
Urology. 50(5):722-6, 1997 Nov.
Here are some of the most common symptoms that men experience as their cancer gets worse. Please bear in mind that if you have any of these symptoms, it does not mean
you have cancer. But it is a good idea to see your doctor.
You may find you have an urgent need to urinate or that you need to go very often, especially at night. You may also find
it difficult to start urinating and to control the flow of your urine. It may dribble out, and stop and start. When you do
go, it can be painful and you might feel a burning sensation. Some men also find that blood comes out in their stream when
they first start to urinate.
These problems happen because the prostate gland surrounds part of the urethra, the tube that carries the urine out through
your penis. As the tumor grows, it can press on the urethra. This makes it difficult for urine to flow through it. The more you strain to go, the more the tumor blocks the opening of
the urethra. The symptoms can also occur because the cancer has spread into the ring of muscle in the neck (opening) of the
bladder.
However, if you have problems urinating, it does not necessarily mean you have cancer. This symptom can also be caused by
your prostate getting larger as you get older. This condition is called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). "Benign" means noncancerous, and "hyperplasia" is an increase in the number of normal cells. BPH is not dangerous or life-threatening,
but an enlarged prostate can be uncomfortable.
Problems passing urine may also be a sign of an infection in your urinary tract (the parts of your body that produce and remove urine). Men with urinary problems are no more likely than men without urinary
problems to have early prostate cancer.
You may feel pain when you have an orgasm for the same reason that you may have problems urinating: The tumor in your prostate
may be pressing on the urethra, the tube that carries urine and semen (milky fluid that contains sperm) out through your penis.
As the tumor grows, it can block the opening of the urethra.
When prostate cancer spreads (a process called
metastasis), it tends to travel to the nearby bones, though researchers aren't sure why it goes there. This can be very painful. You
might ache and feel very stiff. If the cancer has spread to your spine, your legs may tingle and swell, making it difficult
to get up and walk around comfortably. Sometimes the bones can weaken and break, even if you have not had a fall.
2
3
metastasis
This happens when cancer cells spread to parts of the body that are far away from the primary tumor. The cancer can travel through the bloodstream, lymph system or other fluids. New tumors may form in another area of the body as a result.
This happens when cancer cells spread to parts of the body that are far away from the primary tumor. The cancer can travel through the bloodstream, lymph system or other fluids. New tumors may form in another area of the body as a result.
Source:
Guyton AC, Hall JE.
Reproductive and hormonal functions of the male.
In: Textbook of medical physiology. 10th edition. WB Saunders, Philadelphia, U.S.A.; 2000.
Guyton AC, Hall JE.
Reproductive and hormonal functions of the male.
In: Textbook of medical physiology. 10th edition. WB Saunders, Philadelphia, U.S.A.; 2000.
Source:
National Cancer Institute.
Prostate cancer: introductory overview 2001.
National Cancer Institute.
Prostate cancer: introductory overview 2001.
Normally the cells in bones will keep your bones healthy by regularly destroying old bone and building new bone. Cancer cells
can upset this process, so the bones become weak and tend to break easily.
If your prostate cancer spreads, you may develop anemia, which means you have too few
red blood cells. This causes extreme tiredness. Advanced cancer can also cause a loss of appetite.
red blood cells
Red blood cells are the part of your blood that makes it red. Their main job is to carry oxygen from your heart and lungs out to the tissues of your body. Once these cells unload oxygen, they pick up carbon dioxide. They take carbon dioxide back to your lungs so you can breathe it out of your body.
Red blood cells are the part of your blood that makes it red. Their main job is to carry oxygen from your heart and lungs out to the tissues of your body. Once these cells unload oxygen, they pick up carbon dioxide. They take carbon dioxide back to your lungs so you can breathe it out of your body.
Sources for the information on this page:
- Adolfsson J, Steineck G, Hedlund PO.Deferred treatment of clinically localized low-grade prostate cancer: actual 10-year and projected 15-year follow-up of the Karolinska series.Urology. 50(5):722-6, 1997 Nov.
- Guyton AC, Hall JE.Reproductive and hormonal functions of the male.In: Textbook of medical physiology. 10th edition. WB Saunders, Philadelphia, U.S.A.; 2000.
- National Cancer Institute.Prostate cancer: introductory overview 2001.
This information was last updated on Oct 13, 2008
This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment.
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2009. All rights reserved.
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2009. All rights reserved.
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