What Are the Symptoms of Prostate Cancer?
The prostate gland is a small walnut-shaped organ that produces seminal fluid. Seminal fluid provides nutrients to the sperm and a medium in which the sperms are transported in. Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer in men and has a gradual onset. Regular screening for prostate cancer helps to diagnose it in the early stages before it undergoes metastasis to distant organs. Screening services are available in Lady Lake, Florida at an integrated family medical center.
Screening for prostate cancer at Lady Lake men’s health is done through a digital rectal examination (DRE) in which the doctor looks for abnormalities in the prostate gland in its texture, size, and shape. The Prostate-specific (PSA) test is also used for screening by measuring the levels of PSA. High levels of PSA indicate prostate infection or cancer. Diagnosis of prostate cancer is confirmed by ultrasound, prostate biopsy, and MRI fusion.
Who Is at Risk of Prostate Cancer?
Prostate cancer becomes more common with advancing age. Men who are over 40 years are at a high risk of developing prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is also more common in black men than men of other races. Black men also get aggressive cancer of the prostate compared to other men. Obesity increases the risk of prostate cancer and this cancer becomes hard to treat when you are obese.
Some men have a genetic predisposition to prostate cancer. If there are men in your family who have suffered from prostate cancer, your risk increases. A family of breast cancers, if you are carriers of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, also increases your risk of developing prostate cancer.
How Can You Prevent Prostate Cancer?
You can prevent your risk of developing prostate cancer by eating a healthy diet with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Avoid eating processed foods and a high-fat diet. Consume a diet that has high levels of vitamins and minerals. Stay physically active by exercising daily. Physically active men have lower PSA levels than those who don’t.
Watch your weight, because obesity contributes to prostate cancer. Another highly effective way of preventing prostate cancer is going for regular screenings of prostate cancer. Screenings help to detect any cancer at an early stage and this will improve the treatment outcomes and prognosis.
What Are the Symptoms of Prostate Cancer?
Prostate cancer presents with urinary problems like difficulty and painful urination, and having a reduction in the amount of urine passed out with a weak stream. You can also get a feeling of incomplete urination and retention of urine. This is because the prostate gland is found in the upper part of the urethra. When the prostate enlarges, it compresses the urethra causing these symptoms.
Other symptoms of prostate cancer include blood stains in the prostatic fluid, pain, discomfort in the pelvis, and erectile dysfunction. When cancer has spread to the bones, you may experience bone pain. The complications of prostate cancer include metastasis to the bladder and other organs, urinary incontinence, and chronic pain.
Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer in men and the risk increases with advancing age. Having a family history of prostate cancer, being obese, and being black are other risk factors of prostate cancer. This cancer presents with difficulty and pain in urination and erectile dysfunction. To prevent prostate cancer, you should do regular screenings and maintain a healthy lifestyle by eating a healthy diet and being physically active.
