Prostate Cancer - Signs and Symptoms

Prostate cancer is a disease of the prostate gland that affects thousands of men every year. Most of the cases occur in men who are older than 65 years of age.

The prostate gland is located in the lower abdomen of men under the urinary bladder. The gland is regulated by a hormone called testosterone that produces seminal fluid (semen). Semen is an organic substance that contains sperms which fertilize female ova.

When there is an abnormal malignant growth of cells in the prostate gland it is termed as prostate cancer. This is the most common type of cancer found in middle-aged men. Cancer may spread to other body parts which require immediate treatment.

Risk Factors

The risk factors of prostate cancer are:

• Age: Age is the primary risk factor for prostate cancer. It occurs mostly in men after 65 years of age. About 1 in 14 men falling within the age of 60 and 69 are prone to this cancer.
• Family History : If your family members had prostate cancer you’re chances of getting the disease are higher.
• Race: Black men have greater chances to develop prostate cancer than men of other races.
• Obesity: Some studies have shown that obese men are more prone to have  advanced disease that needs immediate treatment and is difficult to treat.

Types of Prostate Cancer

In most cases, prostate cancers are adenocarcinomas (a type of cancer) growing inside the tissue of prostate gland.

It can be categorized into:

• aggressive, or fast-growing
• nonaggressive, or slow-growing

Signs and Symptoms of Prostate Cancer

You may not see any early signs of prostate cancer. However, once the tumor advances or reaches the malignant stage, the following prostate cancer symptoms may be observed:

• Frequent need to urinate, especially during nighttime
• Burning or painful sensation while urinating
• Difficulty while starting or stopping the stream of urine
• Slower or interrupted stream of urine
• Urinary incontinence while coughing or laughing
• Erectile dysfunction
• Blood in urine or semen
• Pain or stiffness in lower back, pelvis, ribs, chest, or upper thighs due to cancer metastasis
• Spinal cord compression

The above symptoms may not always indicate cancer. This it is important to see your doctor and get the prostate cancer symptoms diagnoses at the earliest.