Spotting the Warning Signs of Prostate Cancer

If you consider that 1 in 8 men will receive a diagnosis of prostate cancer, it underscores how important it is to stay one step ahead of this disease. Behind skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men.

There is good news — most men don’t die of prostate cancer, and this is largely due to improved screening and detection efforts.

As a specialist in men’s health, board-certified urologist Dr. Robert Cornell has considerable experience in diagnosing and treating prostate cancer. While Dr. Cornell is happy to sit down with you to come up with a good screening schedule for prostate cancer, he also wants you to familiarize yourself with the signs of a potential problem.

As you read through the following potential red flags, bear in mind that they often result from something other than prostate cancer. As well, this type of cancer typically doesn’t produce any symptoms in the early stages of the disease.

Trouble urinating

If you’re having trouble with urination, such as initiating urination or urinating frequently, this is a red flag that can stem from any number of issues. The most common driver of difficulty with urination in men is benign prostate hyperplasia, and we emphasize the word benign here.

Another common issue is a urinary tract infection (UTI), which can make urination difficult.

Aside from these common issues, prostate cancer can lead to difficulty with urination, such as a slow or weak stream or urinating more frequently at night.

Blood in your urine

Any time there’s blood in your urine, it’s a symptom that’s worth checking out. While prostate cancer may be one cause, it can also stem from trauma to your kidneys, a UTI, or some other type of infection.

Erectile dysfunction

Here again, we’re listing a symptom that can be caused by a wide number of issues. In fact, erectile dysfunction (ED) is a condition that has a lifetime prevalence of about 52% in men, which is far greater than the lifetime prevalence of prostate cancer.

Like the other symptoms, if you’re having ongoing problems with ED, it’s certainly worth investigating, as it can be a potential side effect of prostate cancer.

Pain in certain bones

As prostate cancer advances, it can spread to certain bones in your body, namely your hips, spine, and ribs. If you’re experiencing pain in these areas for no obvious reason, it’s important that you follow up with us so that we can get to the bottom of your discomfort.

We want to underscore the fact that early prostate cancer typically doesn’t cause any symptoms. It’s often only when the disease is advanced and has spread that hard-to-ignore symptoms arise.

To avoid this, it’s best to come to see us for regular screening for prostate cancer. To get started, contact our office in Houston, Texas, to schedule an appointment with Dr. Cornell.