There are a couple of forms of prostate cancer that are non-aggressive. So, if that’s the case, there might not be any early symptoms as such. However, when cancer advances or aggravates, it does bring with it a bunch of symptoms. Here, this article will discuss some advanced and early symptoms and diagnosis of prostate cancer.

Common symptoms
Primarily the signs of the development of prostate cancer would result in sexual problems, urinary problems, numbness, and pain.

Sexual problems: As a result of prostate cancer, a person might suffer from erectile dysfunction. It is more commonly known as impotency. The presence of blood in one’s semen post ejaculation could be another symptom of prostate cancer.

Urinary problems: Some common urinary problems that one might experience as a result of prostate cancer include:

• Frequent urge to pass urine
• Urine stream, which is mostly slower than usual
• Presence of blood spots in the urine
• Numbness and pain

If cancer metastasizes and spreads across the bones, it can cause discomfort and bone pain. This would include pain in:

• Back
• Chest
• Pelvic region

In case the cancer has further spread across the spine, one might feel numbness in the bladder and the legs. Now, though these are predominantly the initial indicators of the development of prostate cancer, they could occur due to any non-cancerous condition, such as prostatitis and benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Hence, early symptoms and diagnosis of prostate cancer are inter-connected. As and when one experiences the symptoms, they should head to the doctor for an accurate diagnosis to know whether or not it is prostate cancer.

Diagnosis
If a person and their doctor have decided that they can undergo the screening of cancer, then the first step of diagnosis would involve a physical examination. In this, the doctor will try to feel and examine the organ to notice any abnormalities. It will be followed by a discussion of a person’s past health history. Following this, a few diagnostic tests would be performed to be ascertained about whether or not it is cancer. These tests include:

Biopsy: To confirm that it is prostate cancer, the doctor might order a prostate biopsy. For the biopsy, a small section of the prostate gland will be removed and screened.

DRE: DRE stands for Digital Rectal Exam, wherein the doctor will have to insert his glove covered finger into the rectum as a means to analyze the prostate. It is done to check for the presence of any lumps in the prostate, which could be cancerous.

PSA: PSA stands for Prostate Specific Antigen, wherein a blood test is conducted to check the level of an antigen in the blood. Since PSA is produced in the prostate, it is an effective diagnosis for prostate cancer.

Other tests: In some cases, MRI scans or CT scans might also be performed.