Generally speaking, there are no symptoms of early prostate cancer. Most men with prostate cancer have no symptoms at all, particularly in early stages. Early-stage prostate cancer is typically asymptomatic, making regular screening crucial for detection. When symptoms do appear, they generally indicate a more advanced stage of the disease.
However, these prostate cancer signs and symptoms can also be an indication of other conditions and may not be prostate cancer. BPH, or benign prostatic hyperplasia, is much more likely to be a cause of difficulty passing urine, for example. If you have any of the symptoms described above, tell your doctor so the causes can be determined.
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Early prostate cancer usually causes no symptoms, though some men may experience blood in the urine (which might make urine look pink, red or cola-colored) or blood in the semen. These visible signs can occur even before other urinary symptoms develop. Additional early indicators may include needing to urinate more often and trouble getting started when trying to urinate. Some men also report waking up to urinate more often at night and painful ejaculation.
Urinary symptoms are among the most common indicators of prostate issues, though they can also result from benign conditions. Key urinary changes include difficulty starting urination, weak or interrupted flow of urine, and urinating frequently, especially at night. Men may also experience trouble emptying the bladder completely, pain or burning during urination, and urgent needs to urinate. An unusually weak urine flow and difficulty stopping or starting urination are additional warning signs.
Advanced prostate cancer, also called metastatic or stage 4 prostate cancer, produces more severe symptoms when the disease spreads to other parts of the body. Late-stage symptoms include:
Fatigue due to anemia, bone pain, paralysis from spinal metastases, and renal failure from bilateral ureteral obstruction can occur in advanced cases.
Yes, most men with prostate cancer experience no symptoms, particularly in early stages. Early prostate cancer (T1 and T2 tumors) is typically symptomless, which is why screening with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing and digital rectal examination is essential for early detection. Studies indicate that prostate cancer often has no presenting symptoms, and when symptoms do appear, they generally indicate a more advanced stage. Research from primary care settings shows a weak evidence base for diagnosing prostate cancer based on symptoms alone, as lower urinary tract symptoms cannot reliably distinguish between prostate cancer and benign prostatic hypertrophy.
Men should see their doctor immediately if they experience any urinary symptoms including difficulty starting urination, weak or interrupted urine flow, frequent urination (especially at night), or pain during urination. Other concerning symptoms requiring prompt medical attention include blood in urine or semen, persistent pain in the back, hips, or pelvis, and painful ejaculation.
For PSA screening, men aged 60 or less with a PSA greater than 2 (or greater than 1 with high risk factors) should consider seeing a urologist. Men aged 61 and older with a PSA greater than 3 (or greater than 1 with high risk factors) should also seek urological evaluation. A suspicious digital rectal exam warrants immediate referral regardless of PSA levels.
Delayed diagnosis of prostate cancer can constitute medical malpractice when healthcare providers fail to meet the standard of care in screening, testing, or follow-up. Medical malpractice requires proving four elements: the doctor owed a professional duty of care, the doctor breached that duty, the patient received a compensable injury, and the breach of care caused the injury.
Common scenarios of malpractice include failure to inform patients of elevated PSA test results and failure to refer patients to urologists for further evaluation or biopsy. Primary care physicians who fail to offer PSA screening or fail to repeat prostate cancer screening annually when indicated may be held liable for delayed diagnosis. Similarly, failure to refer patients back to specialists when PSA results continue to rise, or failure by urologists to perform standard biopsy testing upon learning of abnormal PSA results, can constitute breaches of the standard of care.
Cases have resulted in significant settlements, including a $2 million settlement where a physician failed to inform a patient of PSA results of 17.6 and 18.46 (normal range 0-4), and $1 million settlements for failures to offer screening or refer for biopsies.
Delayed diagnosis results in more paid, and more intense cancer treatments as the stages advance. If you believe your prostate cancer symptoms were ignored, resulting in misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis, reach out to our New York Cancer attorneys for a free case review.
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Five common early warning signs include painful or burning sensation during urination or ejaculation, frequent urination (particularly at night), difficulty stopping or starting urination, sudden erectile dysfunction, and blood in urine or semen. However, it's important to note that early prostate cancer typically causes no symptoms at all. Other possible indicators include unusually weak urine flow and unexplained pain around the prostate while sitting.
Stage 1 prostate cancer refers to early-stage disease where cancer cells are still localized to the prostate, meaning they have not spread outside the prostate gland. In the TNM staging system, Stage 1 tumors are contained within the prostate and have not extended beyond the prostatic capsule. These cancers are typically not detectable clinically or with imaging and are often found incidentally during other procedures or through PSA screening. Stage 1 cancers generally have lower PSA levels and Gleason scores compared to more advanced stages.
You should see a doctor immediately if you experience any urinary changes such as difficulty starting or maintaining urine flow, frequent urination (especially at night), or pain during urination. Additional concerning symptoms include blood in urine or semen, persistent pelvic or back pain, urinary incontinence, and painful ejaculation. Even if symptoms seem mild, medical evaluation is important because early prostate cancer typically causes no symptoms, and detection relies on screening rather than symptom presentation.
Yes, prostate cancer frequently presents with no symptoms, especially in early stages. Most men with prostate cancer are asymptomatic, which makes screening through PSA testing essential for early detection. The only way to catch prostate cancer early while it is still confined to the prostate and curable is through screening, as early-stage disease typically causes no symptoms. Research confirms that T1 and T2 tumors (early stages) are generally symptomless, and symptoms typically only appear when the cancer has progressed to locally advanced stages (T3 or T4).
Prostate cancer affects men physically in different ways depending on the stage of disease. Early-stage cancer typically causes no physical symptoms, but as it progresses, it can cause urinary problems including weak or interrupted urine flow, frequent urination, and difficulty emptying the bladder completely. Advanced prostate cancer may cause persistent bone pain, back or pelvic pain that doesn't go away, and fatigue due to anemia. Men may also experience sexual dysfunction including erectile difficulty and painful ejaculation, unintended weight loss, and in severe cases, weakness in arms or legs or paralysis from spinal metastases.
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