Prostate cancer is the type of cancer that occurs in a man’s prostate glands. The prostate glands produce semen and facilitate the flow of sperm. Cancer is the uncontrollable growth of undifferentiated cells that divide and grow endlessly and can sometimes result in fatality.

Prostate cancer is very common in men and it affects 1 man out of 9. Age is a risk factor as it is easier to develop this condition after a person grows old. Sometimes there are no symptoms until the condition progresses to a serious stage. The treatment administered for prostate cancer varies depending on the stage of cancer. Common methods include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and immunotherapy.

If a person experiences any of the symptoms listed below, they should call a doctor immediately. Some of these symptoms have a good probability that they were caused by other, less serious conditions. Most symptoms of prostate cancer are related to urinary and sexual problems.

Urinary problems
Urinary problems are very common in patients with prostate cancer as the prostate is located right next to the bladder, surrounding the urethra. Since it is so close to the bladder in location, the tumor that develops on the prostate can press against the bladder and cause problems. Some of the urinary problems are:

• Frequent and urgent urination
• A slower stream while passing urine
• Hematuria — It is the condition wherein the person bleeds while urinating.

Sexual problems
Prostate cancer can cause problems in your genitals due to its location. One of the major symptoms of prostate cancer related to sexual problems is erectile dysfunction. Also called impotence, erectile dysfunction is a condition characterized by the inability to get and maintain an erection. Another symptom of prostate cancer is blood in the semen post ejaculation.

Pain and numbness
Metastatic cancer is the condition in which the cancerous tumor of one part spreads to other distant organs in the body. When prostate cancer metastasizes, it immediately attacks the bones. This can result in pain and numbness in the following areas: Pelvic region, back, and chest. If prostate cancer metastasizes to a person’s spinal cord, they may lose all feeling in their bladder and legs.

Early symptoms
Most of the symptoms mentioned above can be an early indication of prostate cancer. However, the earliest to make an appearance will be urinary symptoms.

Blood in a person’s urine is one of the most indicative signs of prostate cancer as very few other diseases can cause it. Other symptoms that appear early are:

• Burning pain during urination
• Difficulty starting/stopping urination
• Pain during ejaculation.

Advanced prostate cancer symptoms
After prostate cancer has advanced, these are the symptoms that show up:

• Swelling in your pelvic area
• Swelling in your legs
• Bone pain that is persistent and leads to fractures
• Increase in PSA levels in your blood.

Recurrent prostate cancer symptoms
Sometimes prostate cancer can make a recurrence. When this happens, one should look out for these signs, especially if they have suffered from prostate cancer previously:

• Blood in the urine
• Blood in semen
• Jaundice