Prostate cancer: Minor signs that are early warning symptoms of the disease

Prostate cancer is the type of cancer that occurs in the walnut shaped gland in men, known as prostate, which produces the seminal fluid. The prostate is below the bladder and in front of the rectum.

In order to disseminate right information around prostate cancer, September is observed as the prostate cancer awareness month. There is a dire need to create awareness around this form of cancer which is accountable for the majority of deaths worldwide. As per research studies, prostate cancer is the second most frequent cancer diagnosis made in men and the fifth leading cause of death worldwide.

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Apart from cancer, the male prostate is also vulnerable to inflammation or prostatitis and prostate enlargement. There is no concrete link between these complications and prostate cancer, however, it is wise to get these tested at an early stage.

Though it is one of the major forms of cancer seen in men, early signs of prostate cancer are overlooked.

The signs of this cancer, which seem minor but are actually not are given below:

trouble in urinating

decreased force in the urine stream

pain in bone

unexplained weight loss

erectile dysfunction

blood in urine

blood in semen

burning sensation while urination or ejaculation

Prostate cancer incidence and mortality rates are strongly related to age with the highest incidence being seen in elderly men who are more than 65 years of age. However, this does not rule out the incidence of this disease in younger males.

As per the estimates of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force quoted by the Harvard Medical School in one of its reports, the prostate cancer risk for men between 50 to 59 years of age is 10-42%. The overall risk for those between 60 and 79 years of age is 17-66%. On the incidence of cancer, another report of Harvard Medical School says that a man whose father or brother has been diagnosed with prostate cancer is two to three times more likely to develop prostate cancer than a man who doesn't have family members with the disease.

A 2017 study by researchers at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India (AIIMS) sheds light on the incidence of prostate cancer in young men. The subject, a 28 year old man, presented with lower urinary tract symptoms and was diagnosed with advanced stage prostate cancer.

"Our case demonstrates that prostate cancer is not only “disease of old age”, as believed earlier, and should be kept as differential when treating young males for lower urinary tract symptoms," the researchers have said. The study is published in Current Urology journal.

The patient showed symptoms of lower abdominal pain, weak urine stream, nocturia and urinary hesitancy for 3 weeks, lower back ache and pressure.

"Prostatitis can present as urinary tract infection, but on digital rectal examination the prostate was non-tender and also urinalysis was unremarkable and had no leukocytes or any microorganism. Also transrectal ultrasonography didn't reveal any signs of prostatitis. Digital rectal examination revealed nodular hard prostate which raised the suspicion of prostate cancer which was then confirmed by transrectal ultrasonography and biopsy," the study report says.

Health experts have particularly warned those with a family history of the disease to be more careful of it and always be observant of the symptoms. While older men are definitely at a higher risk, several other factors like diet habits and other lifestyle habits are independent of age and can cause cancer even in young people.

"Men who eat a lot of red meat or high-fat dairy products seem to have a higher risk of prostate cancer," a Harvard report says.

The treatment for prostate cancer depends on the spread of the disease. It also depends on the symptoms, the levels of prostate specific antigen, the health history of the individual, the quality of life, and other medical conditions.

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If it is localised or confined to the organ then radical surgery can treat it. However, for cases where it has already spread to peripheral regions like bones, lymph nodes, and other parts of the body, hormone therapy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy will be used for the treatment.

If you are at risk of developing prostate cancer, it is prudent to follow certain preventive measures.

A healthy diet, which is essentially low in fat and high in seasonal fruits and vegetables can lower the risk of prostate cancer.

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Several studies have also found a link between dairy products and prostate cancer. Though there are mixed responses to this, studies have said that daily consumption of milk, cheese and yogurt increases the risk of prostate cancer.

A healthy weight and engagement in physical activities are crucial for people of every age group.

One of the biggest myths around prostate cancer is that it only affects elderly men. Several research studies and hospital cases have shown that young men, as young as 28 years old, can also develop this health complication.

Though the incidence of prostate cancer in elderly men is higher than the incidence of the disease in young men, this is not an exclusively age-specific disease.

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Another myth is that prostate cancer kills. The fact is this is a treatable cancer and there are several advanced medical techniques to treat this disease and reverse it.

PSA level determines the cancer level? No. PSA level is just one part of the cancer diagnosis. Do not assume the intensity of the cancer on your own. In order to understand it properly, take help from your doctor.