Introduction
Presently, prostate cancer has been one of the leading diseases in men. Every year, the number of individuals affected by this ailment has increased. Its rise has now caused a very serious concern and awareness especially for men. So what are the symptoms and signs of prostate cancer?
History
A prostate cancer is defined as a malignant growth or tumor consisting of cells from the prostate gland. This type of cancer shows little or no symptoms of abnormalities whatsoever until the later stages of its development. However, not all prostate cancers show the same behaviors. There have been cases of rapid growth and development of the tumor. This kind of cancer greatly affects and shortens the life span of men who are diagnosed with it.
It has been difficult to stop the spread of this disease since as stated earlier, prostate cancer cannot be detected not until the later stages of its development. Prostate cancer is usually first detected by an abnormality found in the blood test or as a hard lump found on the prostate gland.
Features
In some advanced cases, the urethra is being affected by this cancer. One of the characteristics of prostate cancer is enlargement of the prostate glands. This in effect, presses the urethra, making it very hard for the person to urinate. Another manifestation of prostate cancer is having blood in the urine. Once the tumor grows, it can obstruct the urine flow leading to an excruciating pain caused by the enlargement of the urinary bladder. However, these symptoms don’t automatically mean that a person has prostate cancer. These symptoms can also be experienced by men who have no cancerous enlargement in their prostate. It is highly advisable though; for those men who experience this kind of symptoms should consult a specialist to be evaluated just to make sure and rule out the possibility of having prostate cancer and at the same time, receive needed treatment.
During the later stages, the cancer can spread to the lymph nodes or what is known as the pelvic nodes. After that, the cancer can spread to the other parts of the body. The patient may experience fatigue, depression, and weight loss. In this stage, the doctor can now detect a hard, non-moving tumor from and beyond the gland. Manifestations of this are back and pelvic pains. At this point, the cancer may spread to the liver and the lungs. Symptoms of this are abdominal pains and yellowing of the skin. Other symptoms involve chest pains and coughing.
One of the characteristics of prostate cancer is that it is hereditary. Study shows that the probability of developing this disease is very high to men who have family members who have prostate cancer. Another factor that could increase the risk of prostate cancer is by having sexually transmitted disease. Research shows that men who have a history of having sexually transmitted disease have higher chances of having prostate cancer as compared to men who have none. Cigarette smoking and obesity, although not yet scientifically proven, are also considered to be major factors for developing prostate cancer.
Tips and Comments
Although, the death rates of individuals affected by this have seen a consistent drop off, there are still enough good reasons to be concerned about. That is why it is strongly recommended that men who reach the age of 40 years old should undergo a screening or prostate cancer test.
We are living in a world that makes it difficult to have a healthy lifestyle. Because of our choices and the way we live, we end up suffering and hurting the people that care for us. Prostate cancer is just one of the many deadly diseases that we are facing as consequence for our lack of good judgment particularly with our health and lifestyle. We have only one body and one life, let’s choose to take care of it and live responsibly.
