Men's Health Matters: Knowing the Signs of Prostate Cancer

The prostate is a part of the male reproductive system and is located below the bladder and surrounding the urethra. Prostate cancer usually does not cause obvious symptoms in the early stage, but as the condition worsens, patients may experience a series of discomfort, such as frequent urination, urinary urgency, and pain during urination. These symptoms not only affect patients' quality of life but may also threaten their life. Therefore, it is very important to understand the symptoms and preventative measures of prostate cancer as early as possible.

Symptoms of prostate cancer

As prostate cancer mainly grows in the outer area slowly, it does not cause obvious symptoms in the early stage. Generally, when prostate cancer causes obvious symptoms, it may have progressed to a severe stage or have already started to spread. The following are common symptoms:

Urinary tract obstruction

Prostate cancer tumours can compress the urethra and lead to urinary tract obstruction, causing symptoms such as difficulty urinating, slow or intermittent urine flow, frequent urination, urinary urgency, increased nighttime urination, pain during urination, and blood in urine and semen.

Symptoms of metastasis

Prostate cancer metastasis occurs most often in the bones. If that happens, it can cause lower back, pelvic, or spinal pain. If the spine becomes weakened by the invasion of cancer cells, it may also cause fractures that compress the spinal nerves, leading to weakness or loss of sensation in the lower limbs and possibly acute urinary retention.

Diagnosing prostate cancer

Early detection of prostate cancer is very important because early treatment can improve cure rates and survival time. Currently, doctors usually perform digital rectal examinations and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests to diagnose prostate cancer.

Digital rectal examination

Digital rectal examination is a simple and common diagnostic method. By performing this test, doctors can directly assess the size, hardness and irregular surface of the prostate. If any abnormalities are spotted, further examinations such as a biopsy may be recommended.

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test

PSA is a special protein made in prostate cells. When prostate cancer cells proliferate, they will secrete more PSA. Therefore, the PSA test can help doctors determine whether there are abnormalities in the prostate and detect early lesions of prostate cancer.

However, the PSA test is not 100% accurate as the PSA level may also increase due to other reasons, such as prostate inflammation or prostate hyperplasia. Therefore, if the PSA test results are abnormal, the doctor may recommend further examinations such as a biopsy.

Treatment of prostate cancer

The treatment methods for prostate cancer vary depending on the severity of the disease, including surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and more. The following are some common treatments:

Surgery: Surgical treatment for prostate cancer includes prostatectomy, laparoscopic surgery, and more.

Radiation therapy: This is a non-surgical treatment method that can kill cancer cells and minimise tumours.

Chemotherapy: This therapy uses drugs to can kill cancer cells or prevent their proliferation.

Hormone therapy: This therapy treats prostate cancer with hormones.

The symptoms of advanced-stage prostate cancer are similar to those of prostate hyperplasia. Understanding the symptoms and diagnostic methods of prostate cancer is very important, as it can help detect abnormalities early on and improve the cure rate. If patients experience pain in the pelvic bone, back, and hips, it could be that the condition has worsened and the tumour has spread to other parts of the body. So, men should undergo regular health check-ups and maintain a healthy lifestyle to prevent prostate cancer.

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