Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer and second only to lung cancer in cancer related deaths among men in the United States. Sometimes this particular cancer can be small, slow growing and present limited danger to the individual while at some other times it could progress rapidly presenting great health risks. However, when prostate cancer is detected in its early states, it can be successfully treated as well as cured.

symptoms and Early Detection

In its early stages, prostate cancer often causes no symptoms. When initial symptoms do occur, they might include the following: an importance to urinate frequently, particularly at night; difficulty starting urination or perhaps holding back urine; failure to urinate; and weak or interrupted flow of urine. In the event that prostate cancer develops as well as is not treated, it is able to additionally cause the following symptoms: agonizing or maybe burning urination; difficulty in creating an erection; uncomfortable ejaculation; blood in urine or semen; loss of appetite and/or weight; and stiffness or pain in the lower back, hips, as well as upper thighs.

Overall, the earlier prostate cancer is recognized, the better the outlook for the individual in terms of cure or even arresting the cancer progression. The age at what screening for prostate cancer must get started isn't recognized with certainty. But, the American Urological Association recommends that healthy males with the age of forty must give consideration to obtaining a baseline prostate cancer screening with a PSA and DRE test.

Doctors make use of the subsequent testing to identify prostate abnormalities, but these assessments can't emphatically show whether the problems are cancerous or of a much less serious condition. Nevertheless, the results from these tests will be helpful the doctors to decide whether further examinations are required to detect the presence of prostate cancer.

Digital Rectal Examination (DRE)

The DRE is definitely the easiest, safest, and nearly all cost-effective methods of detecting prostate cancer, provided that the tumor is posteriorly situated and it is sufficiently large to be perceptible. The DRE is done with the male either bending over, resting on the side of his or perhaps with his knees drawn up to the chest of his on the examining table. The doctor inserts a gloved finger into the rectum and also examines the prostate gland, noting any abnormalities in size, contour or consistency. Besides providing information about the dimensions of the prostate, DRE could also reveal a selection of attributes which could suggest prostate cancer. Nonetheless, DRE isn't the most reliable way to detect a first cancer, thus it should be coupled with a PSA test.

Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA)