Prostate Cancer Symptoms and Signs

Urinary tract complications affect a large proportion of elderly men. Some of the symptoms deal with the prostate gland situated between the rectum and the bladder. The prostate gland produces the fluid transporting sperm, and it is usually described as "walnut size." Symptoms reflecting complications with the prostate gland may indicate prostate hyperplasia or prostate cancer.

Prostate hyperplasia, sometimes called benign prostatic hyperplasia, is a benign enlargement of the prostate gland that seems to occur in most senior men over 60. Up to ninety percent of men over 80 may have hyperplasia. The symptoms for prostate hyperplasia include frequent urination, incomplete, slow or delayed bladder emptying and frequent passing of urine during the night. 

Cancerous tumors may be indicated in the prostate if there are traces of the blood in the urine or semen, if there is overall difficulty in urinating, or if there is pain and discomfort in the lower back or urinary area.

Several tests may be done for hyperplasia and prostate cancer. Prostate-specific antigen is a protein produced by epithelial cells in the prostate. Measured in a blood test, age-specific indicators for PSA levels have been found to indicate the prevalence of prostate cancer tumors, at most, in 35 percent of positive cases. PSA levels are usually measured during the course of treatment.

The use of PSA testing as a screen for cancer has been questioned in recent studies. It has been found that prostate inflammation may result from several conditions. Mistaken results of cancer findings may lead to unnecessary and costly over-testing. 

Testing that views microscopic analysis of prostate uses Gleason scores to label and compare normal glandular functionality of prostate cells to the more abnormal functionality and aggression of cancerous cells. A digital rectal exam is done to feel the surface of the prostate by inserting the finger into the rectum to reach the prostate. A rough-surface prostate is the usual state while one whose surface is smooth, hard and enlarged may indicate a swollen or diseased prostate.

There are several treatments for prostate cancer. Among them, radical prostatectomy uses surgery to remove the tumors in the early stage. Radiation therapy employs external beam radiation to isolate and kill cancer cells. Brachytherapy, another form of radiation therapy, uses radioactive seeds placed inside the prostate gland.

Hormonal therapy is used as an alternative treatment to control or block the flow of testosterone hormone that feeds prostate cancer cells. This method is usually done by medication.

Erectile dysfunction, affecting sex drive, may follow prostate cancer treatment. Hernia damage may also ensue, even before treatment, as a result of forcing urine flow through the urethra. Treatments for these ailments would normally fall under the domain of the urology specialist.

The risk for prostate cancer increases as men get older. For some reason, black men have more risk for prostate cancer than other races. Obesity complicates the treatment of the disease. 

Preventive measures for prostate cancer generally have to do with improving and maintaining good health and diet habits.