What are the early symptoms of prostate cancer?

When it comes to prostatitis, I believe that there is no male friend who is not familiar with this disease. However, when it comes to prostate cancer, I believe that few people know about it. According to recent relevant studies, the incidence of this disease is increasing year by year. So, what are the symptoms of prostate cancer? The following is the answer given by experts.

Because prostate cancer often originates from the peripheral zone of the prostate, has a relatively hidden onset and grows slowly, there may be no early symptoms of prostate cancer. Only elevated serum pSA values ​​and/or abnormal prostate changes are found during screening. Once symptoms appear, it is usually a more advanced form of progressive prostate cancer.

(1) If the prostate tumor progressively enlarges locally and compresses the prostate urethra, urination disorders may occur, manifested as progressive dysuria (thinning of urine stream, deflection of urine stream, bifurcation of urine stream or prolonged urination), frequent urination, urgency, pain during urination, feeling of incomplete urination, etc. In severe cases, dribbling of urine and urinary retention may occur. These symptoms are similar to those of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BpH), which are easy to misdiagnose and miss, delaying the early diagnosis and treatment of the disease.

(2) For advanced prostate cancer, symptoms such as fatigue, weight loss, and body pain may occur. Because the pain seriously affects diet, sleep, and mental state, after long-term torture, the whole body condition becomes increasingly weak, weight loss and fatigue, progressive anemia, and eventually systemic failure and cachexia.

(3) When prostate cancer metastasizes to the bone, it can cause bone pain at the site of metastasis. Common sites of bone metastasis include the spine, hip bones, ribs, and scapulae. About 60% of advanced patients experience bone pain, which is common in the waist, sacrum, buttocks, hip pelvis. Bone pain has different manifestations. Some patients may experience persistent pain, while others experience intermittent pain. Bone pain can be confined to a specific part of the body, or it can manifest as migratory pain in different parts of the body; bone pain may vary at different times of the day, and may respond differently to rest and activity. If the bone becomes significantly brittle due to tumor invasion, pathological fractures are likely to occur. Certain parts are common sites of arthritis, such as the knee and shoulder joints. Pain in these parts is not necessarily caused by prostate cancer metastasis, and further examination is needed to determine whether prostate cancer metastasis exists.

(4) 1/2 to 2/3 of patients have lymph node metastasis when they first see a doctor, most of which occur in the internal iliac, external iliac, retroperitoneal, inguinal, mediastinal, supraclavicular and other parts. If prostate cancer metastasizes to adjacent regional lymph nodes, there are usually no symptoms. In a few cases, when lymph nodes are widely metastatic and enlarged, compressing blood vessels and blocking lymphatic return in the lower limbs, symptoms of swelling of the lower limbs and scrotum will occur.

(5) For advanced prostate cancer with spinal metastasis, if the spine is fractured or the tumor invades the spinal cord, it may cause nerve compression and paralysis, and requires immediate emergency treatment in the hospital.

(6) If prostate cancer invades the bladder base or the pelvic lymph nodes are widely metastatic, unilateral or bilateral ureteral obstruction (the channel that drains urine from the kidneys to the bladder) may occur. Symptoms and signs of ureteral obstruction include oliguria (anuria in the case of bilateral ureteral obstruction), back pain, nausea, vomiting, and fever in the case of concurrent infection.

(7) Prostate cancer is usually not accompanied by hematuria and hematospermia; however, if hematuria and hematospermia occur, the patient should go to the urology clinic for relevant examinations to rule out the possibility of prostate or seminal vesicle tumors.

(8) Patients with extensively metastatic prostate cancer may experience tumor rupture and bleeding. Patients with prostate cancer may develop anemia. The cause of anemia may be related to tumor bone metastasis, endocrine therapy, or duration of illness. Since the number of blood cells generally decreases slowly, patients may not have any symptoms of anemia. Some patients with severe anemia may experience weakness, postural hypotension, dizziness, shortness of breath, and fatigue.

Normally, prostate abnormalities can be detected in ordinary physical examinations, but in order to confirm whether it is prostate cancer, an "alpha-fetoprotein" test must be performed. Therefore, once male friends notice that their bodies have the above-mentioned symptoms, they can go to a regular professional andrology hospital for examination and diagnosis.