5 urination problems that can tell you about prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is a cancer that affects the prostate gland, a small walnut-shaped gland in males just below the bladder that produces seminal fluid. One in seven men worldwide are affected by this cancer, making it the second most frequent cancer among men.
Dr. Anant Kumar, Chairman of Uro-oncology, Robotic and Kidney Transplantation Max Healthcare says, “Most cancers do not show symptoms and take their time to develop and spread in the body. Therefore, most men with early prostate cancer do not experience any noticeable signs. When the tumour grows, only then do they experience symptoms of prostate cancer. However, if they are vigilant, it is possible to notice the symptoms at an early stage.”

According to Dr. Kumar, Prostate gland starts increasing in size after the age of 50 and may cause pressure over the urethra which passes through it. This is an aging process and most of the urinary symptoms in elderly age is due to it. Prostate cancer also leads to increase in size of the prostate gland and may present with similar symptoms. Age related prostate enlargement and prostate cancer may coexist.

The common reason for people not noticing the symptoms early is that they confuse them for symptoms of other conditions. Knowing which symptoms may indicate an illness can help a person get treatment sooner. Painful or difficult urination is one of the signs of prostate cancer or enlargement.
Below are some of the common urination problems that signal towards prostate enlargement /cancer:

Blood in urine or semen - Experiencing blood in urine or semen is not common and should not be ignored. This is one of the early signs that can help in detecting prostate cancer.
Slow or weak urinary system – Men may also experience a change in urination when the flow becomes slow or weak, making it difficult to urinate.
Difficulty in starting to urinate – Dr. Kumar says, “Apart from slow urination, some might also experience hesitancy. Generally, a healthy person will not experience hesitancy in starting to urinate.”
Feeling that the bladder has not emptied fully – People with prostate cancer may experience the feeling that the bladder has not fully emptied even after peeing.
The need to urinate frequently – One of the most common urination problems that indicate a tendency towards prostate cancer is the urge to urinate frequently, especially during the night. People are often unable to hold urine for some time.
Apart from problems in urination, other symptoms of prostate cancer include weight loss, abdominal pain, bone pain, leg swelling and fatigue.

Prostate cancer can only be cured in early stages and can only be controlled in late stages. Now we have many modalities to treat it. Newer chemotherapy and immunotherapy are effective in late stages.