Detecting Prostate Cancer Symptoms Early

It is still unknown what really causes prostate cancer but several risk factors have been discovered like family history, race, age or high fat diet.

Having a screening examination at fixed intervals is important to detect the cancer early. Looking for symptoms yourself is not enough because you can not detect it early enough. Once you have prostate cancer symptoms already, it is (too) late already. After the disease has broken out already, you could have symptoms like weak or interrupted urine flow, blood in the urine or a pain in the back, thighs or hips. There could also be a burning sensation.

It could be a matter of life or dead to detect the cancer as early as possible. The earlier the treatment starts the greater the chances of survival. This can be cured but only when it hasn't spread too much already.

The doctor will also put his digit into the rectum to feel any lumps in the prostate. If he finds any abnormalities, the doctor will order an blood test to find out if a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is in the blood. While low amounts of PSA are ok, a high amount of PSA is a strong sign for cancer. A trans rectal ultrasound examination is another option. This painless method gives a good picture of the gland within 20 minutes.

A biopsy is needed once the above tests indicate the occurrence of cancer. That means that the doctor must take a small sample of the tissue by using a needle. The sample is then checked under a microscope and if the sample is cancerous it is an exact diagnosis. The biopsy itself is a quick and rather painless method to diagnose prostate cancer.

Once it is detected, the doctor must find out how much it has spread already. An x-ray can show if the cancer has reached the lungs already. A computer tomography or magnetic resonance imaging can also make internal organs visible. Once it is diagnosed the treatment must start immediately. There are several different treatment options but still the surgery is the most effective way to totally remove the cancer. The treatment will need a team of doctors, an urologist, a surgeon and an oncologist. The surgery is not without risks and side effects so that some prefer alternative ways.

A good prognosis with a high survival rate of 95% can be given when it was detected very early and the surgery was successful. However, the later the cancer was diagnosed, the worse the statistics get. Less than 30% survive the next five years after the cancer was detected very late.

Early detection of prostate cancer symptoms [http://www.prostate-cancer-symptoms.net/] and prostate cancer [http://www.prostate-cancer-symptoms.net/] can save your life.

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Prostate Cancer Symptoms - Do Your Changes In Urination Mean Cancer?

Prostate cancer symptoms may not be noticed before prostate cancer is detected from a routine PSA blood test, which is a test done to screen men for this form of cancer. However, some men will experience changes in urination or pain, which could be an indication of cancer. This article will share how to identify symptoms that need medical attention.

The prostate gland is part of the male reproductive system. It is a small structure about the size and shape of a walnut that wraps around the urethra, which is the tube that transports urine out of the body.

Prostate Cancer Symptoms And Causes

Prostate cancer may not be noticed in its early stages. In more advanced cases, the following symptoms may be seen:

• Difficult urination in which the urinary stream is slow or delayed
• Decreased force in the urine stream
• Dribbling after urination ends
• Leakage of urine
• Straining urination with a sensation that the bladder was not able to empty completely
• Blood in the urine or semen
• Discomfort in the pelvic region
• Bone pain

Many of these symptoms mimic a common problem seen in men as they age, which is an enlarged prostate. This problem is termed Prostate Hypertrophy or Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) and is typically a benign condition.

The cause of prostate cancer is not fully understood but risk factors have been identified. Men who are at higher risk include:

• African-American men
• All men over the age of 60
• Men with a family history of cancer of the prostate

Other risk factors may include:

• Obesity
• Men who eat a high fat diet, particularly animal fats
• Exposure to agent orange or cadmium
• Farmers
• Tire Plant workers
• Painters

Prostate Cancer Diagnosis And Treatment

In some cases, the aforementioned symptoms will be notice but most cases of prostate cancer are detected from a routine screening tests. These tests may include a Digital Rectal Exam or a blood test called a Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) test. If abnormalities are discovered with the screening tests, your doctor may recommend further tests to confirm the diagnosis such as an Ultrasound or a biopsy of the prostate.

A biopsy is the only test that can positively confirm the presence of cancer and if cancer cells are present your results will be reported using something called a Gleason score. The Gleason score is a way of evaluating how aggressive your cancer is with 2 being nonaggressive cancer and 10 being very aggressive cancer.

Your doctor may order additional tests to determine if the cancer has spread such as a CT Scan, Bone Scan or MRI.

Treatment of prostate cancer will vary from individual to individual and will be determined based on a number of factors such as how fast your cancer is progressing, if it has spread, your age, your overall health and potential side effects of the treatments.

Some men may not require immediate treatment especially if they are diagnosed very early or if they are of advanced age. In these cases the doctor may take a "watchful waiting" approach in which regular follow-up blood tests, rectal exams and possibly other tests (i.e. biopsies) are performed to monitor the growth of the cancer.

In other cases where the cancer is detected early, your doctor may consider surgery and radiation therapy. Other forms of treatment may be considered especially if the cancer has spread. These other treatments may include hormone therapy, cryotherapy, high-intensity focused ultrasound treatment and chemotherapy.

Take an active role in your health by learning even more about Prostate Cancer

You can read more about this condition and use a free tool that walks you through your symptoms and leads you to an online diagnosis. Prepare yourself before your doctor's visit and figure out what your symptoms mean using this Medical Symptom Diagnosis Tool.

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How To Live, With Prostate Cancer

I am not a doctor, so I can't and shouldn't give medical advice. But I am a survivor, so I can tell the story of my journey.

I want to be really frank, transparent even with this short read, but don't let brevity distract from the potency of the message. For some who read this, it could well be life saving.

Every man aged 40 & over should read this account and pass it on to their families, friends and peers. For that matter every woman with a 40 plus man in her life or family should read this, and share it widely.

Prostate cancer is one of those sneaky afflictions that sneaks up on men unannounced, and without much, or any warning. But once it has us in its clutches, it is often too late to do anything about it.

At around age 50 my doctor, or GP, started doing blood tests to measure PSA levels. Results were, hmm, OK; in low single digits; don't worry too much about it was the prognosis.

And over the next few years results bounced up & down a bit, but generally trended upwards. The key here is, of course, that regular testing over a period of time is critical, and not simply a one off test as it is the trend that is important.

Oh yes, I shouldn't forget the DRE... I had all those fairly uncool digital rectal inspections. When you see, and hear, your GP pulling on those latex gloves, you kind of think this is definitely not cool. Does this make you feel great? No, not really.

My prostate was enlarged, not hugely, but noticeably. This, I was told, was not necessarily anything to worry about, as it could occur without anything cancerous going on; and in any case, if not cancerous this could be treated successfully.

I was also experiencing some bladder issues; again, nothing that could be deemed conclusive regarding cancer, but just another thing going on that required watching.

Actually, I was finding it harder to 'go' at times. And whilst it might have been harder to actually 'go', the need was certainly more frequent: I was having to get up during the night 2-3 times regularly.

The most embarrassing thing was going to the public urinals and standing alongside lots of other men, doing what you do; or trying to. It's frustrating and embarrassing standing there waiting; and waiting; for the flow to start.

When my PSA reached around 7, my GP recommended I see a specialist. I was a bit ho-hum about this, but like all good patients did as I was told. After all, he was my doctor, and should know what he is doing.

I'd already had an ultrasound, which was also inconclusive and didn't reveal anything suspicious so my specialist, having looked over these results, told me a biopsy was the next best step, where they go in and cut out some small core samples for analysis.

So, a few days later I was admitted, anesthetized, and the next thing I knew I was laying there trying to wake up. Job done. Another nice experience? Not really.

The wait for the results was a bit of a challenge but pretty soon, there they were. Positive! I had 5 positive results for Prostate Cancer out of the group of 12 samples.

Straight away I was dispatched for a series of very thorough scans & x-rays from head to foot; the results from these too were nothing too concerning, and it looked like the cancer had not began to spread, or metastasize.

My Gleeson score of 6 was getting up there; on the threshold of medium risk, but not yet drastic.

The specialist gave me a list of options including leave it for a few months, to radiotherapy, to radical surgery.

I thought about this for a while... about 5 seconds, and said let's go in and get that sucker.

So, quite quickly I was introduced to a really, really good surgeon who reviewed all the information and we decided to get on with it as soon as possible. We did further scans to get a better picture of what was going on, and be more sure that it hadn't spread.

There was a delay of about six weeks to make sure I had no residual issues from the biopsy, and promptly after that I was admitted to hospital for robotic surgery.

I decided to go for robotic rather than conventional surgery as the potential recovery time was much quicker, and there seemed to be fewer post operative issues.

The operation went really smoothly, and after about six hours I had my eyes open again; the robotic nerve sparing surgery was very successful; and next day I was up on my feet. A bit tender, but getting around.

Amazingly, I had virtually no pain; and no bleeding. Nursing staff were really surprised at my recovery post operation and my surgeon told me that I make him look good; but I think, too, that my friend God had His fingerprints on this procedure as well.

I was discharged 48 hours after the operation and part of the deal was having to have a catheter and a leg bag for a week; not one of my favorite activities, but all part of the process I was told.

A week later I went in and had the catheter and bag removed. At last!

They made me drink liters and liters of water for a few hours, carefully measuring what came out; and checked just how I was holding it all in.

I had been prepped to expect that I would be incontinent for some time; probably for a few months; and possibly for many months. This would mean wearing pads to soak up those 'unfortunate leaks'.

But, much, much to the surprise of the nursing staff I had no incontinence; at all, so didn't have to wear pads and all of that stuff. Cool.

The next thing was my pathology results. The affected parts were sent away for analysis to see just how developed the cancer was. Results soon came back and confirmed that in fact it was more developed than we had thought, so getting in quick was vindicated.

Now, I'm maintaining a watching brief for several years to see that no further complications arise.

Oh, and by the way, all the plumbing problems went away.

Moral to this story:

Each year in my home country of Australia 20,000 new cases of prostate cancer are diagnosed; and each year almost 3300 men die from prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer often has no symptoms, and is not necessarily confined to older men; it is often easy to treat if diagnosed early.

If you are a male aged 40 or over, go see your doctor and get a checkup. If he says no need to worry yet, insist, or go see another doctor.

The greatest risk for men is complacency, and the fear of having it checked out. Men, generally, are late presenters; they don't go to their doctor unless they really have to. This reason alone means many men have prostate cancer develop unawares, and by the time symptoms are experienced, it is too late.

Early diagnosis and intervention is key to survival. It is your life at stake.

Do some research; and see your doctor.

Do it!

Neil Findlay is a successful orator and writer with over 30 years business experience in the highly competitive transport and logistics industry.Neil has been awarded multiple, often repeat, awards for excellence across a broad range of business spheres. Find out more about how to improve your leadership and public speaking capabilities by visiting http://www.neilfindlay.com or http://neilfindlay.com/blog

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