The Symptoms Of Prostate Cancer
In the early stages, prostate cancer often causes no symptoms for years. As a fact, these cancers are often found first time with an abnormal blood test (PSA, discussed below) or as a hard lump on the prostate gland.
Usually, the first doctor felt the lump when a routine digital rectal examination (done with the fingers). Prostate gland is located directly in front of the rectum. When the cancer growing and pressing on the urethra, urine flow decreased and urine (urine waste) becomes more difficult.
Patients may also experience burning sensation when urinating or blood in the urine. As the tumor continues to grow, he can fully block the flow of urine, resulting in an enlarged bladder and deprived the sick.
At later stages, prostate cancer can spread locally to the surrounding tissue or lymph nodes adjacent nodes, called the pelvic nodes.
Cancer and can spread even farther (metastasize) to other body areas. Doctors at a rectal examination can sometimes detect local spread into surrounding tissues.
The doctor can feel a hard tumor, and settle (not move) which extends from and beyond the gland. Prostate cancer usually spreads first to the lower spine (lower spine) or the bones of the pelvis / pelvic bones (the bones which connect the lower spine to the hip), thus causing the back pain (back pain) or pelvic pain (pelvic pain). Cancer can then spread to the liver and lungs.
Metastases (areas where the cancer has spread) in the liver can cause pain in the stomach (abdomen) and jaundice (yellow skin color) on the events that rare. Metastases to the lungs can cause chest pain and coughing.
Perform Prostate Cancer Screening Test
Screening tests are tests performed on regular intervals to detect a disease such as prostate cancer at an early stage. If the results of a screening test is normal, there is no suspected illnesses. If a screening test is abnormal, the disease was suspected, and further tests usually needed to confirm the suspicion to make the diagnosis is assured.
Initially suspected prostate cancer due to an abnormality of one or two screening tests that detect for prostate cancer. Screening tests is a rectal examination with a finger and a blood test called prostate specific antigen (PSA).
On rectal examination with a finger (digital rectal examination), the doctor feels the prostate gland with the index finger into the rectum to detect abnormalities of the gland. Thus, an irregular lump or perceived violence on the surface of the gland is a discovery of suspicious for prostate cancer.
Therefore, doctors usually recommend a rectal examination with a finger each year in men aged 40 years and more.
PSA test is a simple blood test, can be repeated and accurate. He used to detect a protein (prostate specific antigen) that is released from the prostate gland into the blood. Far more important, PSA levels are usually higher in men with prostate cancer than men without prostate cancer.
PSA, therefore, is valuable as a screening test for prostate cancer. Therefore, the doctors recommend doing a PSA every year in men aged 50 years and more. Furthermore, for the men who have higher risks of prostate cancer as discussed above, most doctors recommend PSA screening starting at even younger ages (eg at age 40 years).
The results of the PSA blood test under 4 nanograms per milliliter is generally considered normal. The results between 4 and 10 be considered as the borderline. Indigo-line values are interpreted in the context of the patient’s age, symptoms, signs, family history, and the changes in PSA levels over time.
The results are higher than 10 are considered abnormal, suggesting the possibility of prostate cancer. Higher PSA values, were more likely diagnosis of prostate cancer. More than that, PSA levels tend to increase if the cancer has continued from prostate cancer is limited to the distribution organs (metastatic) elsewhere.
Values very high, like 30 or 40 and over, usually caused by prostate cancer.
