5 Early Prostate Cancer Symptoms, According to Health Expert
Cancer is the number two cause of death after heart disease. Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer in men, and the second leading cause of death from cancer in men, after lung cancer. The American Cancer Society's 2022 estimate is that 268,490 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and 34,500 will die from this disease. Read on to find out early prostate cancer symptoms—and to ensure your health and the health of others, don't miss these Sure Signs You've Already Had COVID.
When You Should Start to Worry About Prostate Cancer
Most prostate cancers are found in men over the age of 65. However, the American Cancer Society's 2022 estimate is that 6,380 men younger than 65 years will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and 1,070 will die from this disease. Men as young as 40 can get prostate cancer, but this is rare. African American men are more likely to develop prostate cancer than any other racial group, and they are also more likely than white men to die from it.
Prostate cancer may cause no signs or symptoms in its early stages. Many signs and symptoms often appear only when your prostate gland is large enough to affect the urethra. These include:
A Need to Urinate More Often, Especially at Night
Frequency means you feel the urge to urinate more often. Not only do you go more often but you probably have nocturia, which is urinating at night.
Difficulty Starting Urination or Holding Back Urine
You have trouble initiating a stream of urine and you experience urgency which is a strong, sudden urge to urinate. You may leak urine when you laugh, cough or exercise.
Weak or Interrupted Flow of Urine
Your stream is weak or broken and you may find yourself stopping and starting while urinating.
Painful or Burning Sensation During Urination
You feel a burning sensation when you urinate but little or no urine comes out. You may also have urinary frequency, urgency, hesitancy, and weak stream.
Frequent Pain or Stiffness in the Lower Back or Hips
You may feel pain in your lower back, hips, or upper thighs. This is called pelvic pain. This can be an indication that prostate cancer has metastasized, or spread, to the bones.
The Final Word From the Expert
These are just a few of the more common symptoms associated with prostate cancer. Benign prostatic hypertrophy is a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate that occurs as we age. This can cause lower urinary tract symptoms. But so can prostate cancer. So if you experience any of these, please consult with your physician for further evaluation. And to protect your life and the lives of others, don't visit any of these 35 Places You're Most Likely to Catch COVID.
Gethin Williams MD Ph.D. is the Medical Director of Imaging & Interventional Specialists.
