What are symptoms of prostate cancer? What signs do I use to recognize prostate cancer? Malignant tumors of the prostate arise in two-thirds of cases in the outer glandular areas. Since the urethra, which runs in the interior, is therefore only constricted at a late stage, the prostate cancer often only becomes noticeable after a longer period of time. So the following applies: even without signs, prostate cancer or a precursor may already be present.
Prostate cancer: symptoms and signs
However, if one or more of the following symptoms occur, a doctor should be consulted in any case. Only he can distinguish between a malignant tumor and a benign prostate enlargement with similar symptoms.
- Weakened or interrupted urine stream, decreased urine volume.
- Frequent but difficult urination, repeated urination at night.
- Pain during urination
- Erectile dysfunction, pain during erection, decreased ejaculation.
- Pain in the prostate
- Rarely: Blood in the urine or blood in the semen
- In metastases: Bone pain, for example in the lower back or pelvis.
Diagnosis prostate cancer
The doctor, after taking the medical history and general physical examinations, will first palpate the prostate gland with his finger through the rectum (rectal palpation). In this way he detects signs of prostate cancer such as enlargement, induration and painful changes in the prostate. It should be noted that not all tumors can be palpated, especially if they are still small or growing towards the abdominal side.
This checking of symptoms can be supplemented by an ultrasound examination (transrectal sonography). If prostate cancer is suspected, tissue is removed from various areas of the prostate under ultrasound guidance (ultrasound-guided transrectal punch biopsy) and screened for cancer cells under the microscope.
Once the diagnosis of prostate cancer is established, an ultrasound examination of the abdomen and kidneys, X-ray examination of the chest and skeletal scintigraphy, and possibly also computer tomography (CT) are used to look for metastases, especially in the kidneys and urinary tract, lungs and bones, and thus a staging for prostate cancer is also performed.
Follow-up of prostate cancer by PSA level.
Blood tests also play an important role in prostate cancer diagnostics. Here, the PSA (prostate-specific antigen) is particularly significant. This protein belongs to the tumor markers. Tumor markers are substances that are more or less specifically elevated in certain types of cancer.
Whether the PSA value is suitable for diagnosing prostate cancer is controversial. Although a strongly elevated value is indicative of prostate cancer, it can also have other causes, such as inflammation. However, the importance of PSA for prostate cancer follow-up is undisputed: if therapy is successful, the concentration in the blood drops; if it rises again, this indicates a relapse.
