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Detecting the Early Symptoms of Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer, also known as "adenocarcinoma", is a cancerous tumor located on the prostate gland. It is one of the most common health problems among men and is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men. Detecting the early symptoms of prostate cancer can be tricky since this condition normally does not cause visible symptoms for many years. However, you can determine if you are at risk of prostate cancer through your family history, dietary programs and environmental issues. Most men who discover the early symptoms of prostate cancer are aged 55 years old and older. More risk factors of prostate cancer other than age include heavy smoking and alcohol consumption, sedentary lifestyle, exposure to heavy metals, diets high in saturated fats and race.
How to Spot the Early Symptoms of Prostate Cancer
Most people who are diagnosed with prostate cancer spot the disease through prostate examinations. Prostate cancer does not normally cause symptoms. Instead, the disease show symptoms when the cancer has spread beyond the prostate gland. However, early symptoms of prostate cancer sometimes occur. These symptoms include difficulty to urinate or frequent urination (specially at night), painful urination and ejaculation, trouble of holding back or starting urination, interrupted or weak flow of urine and blood in the semen or urine. Patients may also experience frequent pain or stiffness in the pelvis, hips, and upper thighs and lower back. When these early symptoms of prostate cancer do occur, they usually indicate a non-cancerous condition. For this reason, it is important that you consult with a doctor and take necessary prostate exams.
Prostate Exams to Identify Early Symptoms of Prostate Cancer
Modern medicine has created two ways to detect prostate cancer early - Digital Rectal Exam (DRE) and Prostate-specific Antigen (PSA). When you undergo a DRE, the physician inserts a finger into the rectum since the prostate gland is located just in front of the rectum. Because of this, the doctor can easily look for bumps, lumps or other possible hard areas on the prostate gland. If there are, further exams are needed to determine if the lumps are cancerous or not.
Another way to detect early symptoms of prostate cancer is through testing amounts of prostate-specific antigen in the patient's blood. Experts recommend taking a yearly exam of both DRE and PSA when a man reaches 50 years old. However, if you have higher risks of prostate cancer, it is best to start taking yearly exams at the age of 40.
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