Symptoms of prostate cancer in the elderly

Prostate cancer in the elderly is a malignant tumor originating from the prostate gland and is a common malignant tumor in the male urogenital system. Among all the malignant tumors of all organs, the natural history of prostate cancer varies greatly, varies from person to person, and is difficult to predict. Unlike malignant tumors of other organs, which all end in sinister consequences, most patients' tumors can remain dormant for a long time, or even remain undetected for a lifetime. So, what are the symptoms of prostate cancer in the elderly?

1. Clinical symptoms

Prostate cancer in the elderly is often asymptomatic in the early stages. When the tumor grows to the point of blocking the urinary tract, symptoms of bladder neck obstruction similar to those of prostatic hyperplasia appear, with gradually worsening slow urine flow, frequent urination, urgency, interrupted urine flow, incomplete urination, dysuria, and even incontinence. Hematuria is not common. In the late stages, there may be low back pain, leg pain (nerve compression), anemia (extensive bone metastasis), lower limb edema (lymph and venous return obstruction), bone pain, pathological fractures, paraplegia (bone metastasis), dysuria (rectal compression), oliguria, anuria, and uremic symptoms (bilateral ureteral compression). Some patients seek medical treatment for metastasis symptoms without primary prostate symptoms.

2. Digital rectal examination

Rectal examination is the first diagnostic step. The size and shape of the prostate, the presence of irregular nodules, the size, hardness, extension range of the mass and the condition of the seminal vesicles should be checked. During routine physical examination, the prostate is found to be enlarged, hard, nodular, with an uneven surface, disappearance of the central groove, and the gland is fixed or invading the rectum. Tumors originating in the transitional zone can only be touched when they grow to a certain extent. The tumor is often as hard as a stone, but there is a great difference. The infiltration is extensive, and the lesions that undergo metaplasia may be softer. Prostate cancer associated with prostatic hyperplasia is sometimes difficult to distinguish by rectal examination. The differential diagnosis of prostatic nodules includes granulomatous prostatitis, prostatic stones, prostatic tuberculosis, nonspecific prostatitis and nodular prostatic hyperplasia, which should be carefully distinguished.