There are no warning signs of early prostate cancer. You can’t feel the growing tumor pushing against anything else, so there’s no pain. You can have the disease for years and not know it. That’s why regular prostate cancer screenings are so important. If you’re a Black man, early screening for prostate cancer is particularly important as you’re 2.5 times more likely to die from prostate cancer than your non-Hispanic white peers. In a large study by JAMA
Oncology, results pointed to factors such as access to quality health care as to why this may be the case. If you’re nonbinary or gender expansive, you should still be aware of potential risks of prostate cancer, particularly for transgender women. Significant studies are lacking, but it is still possible to be diagnosed with prostate cancer. So screening, especially if you have symptoms or a family history of cancer, could be a
helpful decision. Once a tumor causes your prostate gland to swell, or once cancer spreads beyond your prostate, you may have
symptoms including: These aren’t symptoms of the cancer itself. They happen because the cancer growth is blocking your prostate. Symptoms of advanced prostate cancer include:Early Signs of Prostate Cancer
Symptoms of Prostate Cancer
Symptoms of Advanced Prostate Cancer
These symptoms
don’t always mean you have prostate cancer. Some other conditions may have similar signs. Prostatitis. This is often a bacterial infection that causes inflammation of your prostate gland. At least half of men will have it at some point. Medications can treat it. Prostatitis symptoms include: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). This is an enlarged prostate because of unusual cell growth that isn’t caused by cancer. Signs of BPH include: Bladder infection. Your bladder holds your urine. The organ is located directly above your prostate. Some bladder cancer symptoms can overlap with those for prostate cancer. They may include: Erectile dysfunction. This condition makes it hard for you to get or keep an erection. It’s also called impotence. The main signs of erectile dysfunction is not being able to get an erection or to keep it long enough to have sex. Urinary tract
infection (UTI). This can happen when bacteria grow in your bladder or kidneys. Some infections are caused by BPH blocking the flow of urine out of your bladder. Doctors treat them with antibiotics. UTI symptoms include:Other Prostate Conditions
Back pain. This can
happen if your prostate cancer spreads to bones in your back. It can make it difficult to walk. Over time, pain in this area can spread to other parts of your body. Nerve pain. If prostate cancer presses on a nerve in your body, you can feel this type of pain. The feeling can be described as shooting, burning, or tingling. Nerve pain can also cause an area to feel numb. Lymphedema. If your
prostate cancer spreads to your lymph nodes, it can cause lymphedema. This condition is caused by a blockage in your lymphatic system, which is part of your immune system. Fluids can build up and cause areas in your body to swell if your lymphatic system is blocked. Lymphedema pain from prostate cancer can affect your legs, but can also affect areas including the penis or scrotum. Affected areas are described as feeling achy, tight, or heavy. To help
manage prostate cancer pain, you can: Other prostate cancer symptoms can include: Loss of libido (sex drive). Side effects of drug treatments for prostate cancer can cause a loss of interest in sex and erection problems. A common treatment for prostate cancer is hormone therapy, which is used to slow your body down from making testosterone, the male hormone. Your doctor may recommend you
do hormone therapy off and on to lessen the side effects of these medications. To manage a loss of libido with prostate cancer, you can:Managing Prostate Cancer Pain
Managing Other Prostate Cancer Symptoms
- Ask your doctor about breaks with your hormone therapy treatment, or only restart treatment when your prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels begin to rise
- Talk to your doctor about drug treatment for erection problems
- Seek advice from a sex counselor or therapist
- Talk with your partner about loss of libido
- Keep a healthy diet and stay active
Depression. News of cancer can be understandably difficult for you and your loved ones. Following a prostate cancer diagnosis, it isn’t unusual for you to experience depression and other emotional side effects. Because stress is often another side effect of depression, depression in cancer patients has been linked to shorter survival times.
To manage the effects of depression, it can be helpful to: Cognitive impairment, or mental functions. The use of hormone therapy in prostate cancer patients can increase the risk of cognitive impairment. This is because lowered levels of testosterone, the male sex hormone, can affect concentation, thinking, and
memory. You may forget a thought mid-sentence, have trouble remembering conversations, or struggle with complex decision-making, like handling bills or taking medications. To manage your thinking and memory, you can try to: Talk to your doctor if:When to See Your Doctor About Prostate Cancer Symptoms