Symptoms
There are almost no early warning signs of prostate cancer. Relevantly noticeable and specific symptoms usually do not appear until the advanced stage, which is why regular participation in routine examinations is very important. If the tumor is still confined to the prostate and presses against the urethra, urination may become difficult.
These include, for example, a weakened urinary stream, increased urination at night and urine dripping. However, these symptoms can also be caused by a benign enlargement of the prostate. If the tumor continues to grow, blood may be present in the urine and urine retention may occur.
This can back up to the kidneys and lead to further complications at the kidneys. If the prostate carcinoma breaks through the organ capsule, pain usually occurs in this area. If the tumor is large enough, stool irregularities such as constipation or blood in the stool can eventually occur.
The occurrence or rapid deterioration of erectile dysfunction should also be further clarified in men over 45 years of age. A prostate carcinoma can sometimes cause the nerves responsible for this to become trapped. In advanced stages with metastases, the symptoms usually depend on the organ system affected.
Lymph node metastases can impede the drainage of lymph, which can lead to accumulations of lymph in the legs, for example. Bone metastases mainly cause pain in the back, hip, pelvis and thigh area.However, they can also lead to fractures without the need for major force. General symptoms of advanced prostate cancer are fatigue, exhaustion, loss of appetite, fever, unwanted weight loss and increased night sweats.
Early detection
Since prostate cancer causes specific symptoms at a very late stage, it is important to participate in regular screening examinations. One of these is the digital rectal examination (DRU, prostate examination), in which the examiner tries to palpate abnormalities in the prostate with his finger through the patient’s anus. Since the prostate carcinoma often develops from the outer parts of the gland, the palpation examination is also successful in many cases. There is also transrectal ultrasound (TRUS), in which a probe is inserted through the anus in order to better assess the condition of the prostate. And last but not least, the so-called PSA value (tumor marker) can be determined from the blood, which can provide information about a possible prostate disease.
