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5 WARNING SIGNS OF PROSTATE CANCER

Babatunde Oladipupo B.Sc/Ed, M.Ed (Guidance & Counseling)

In the present world, many live in ignorance which is most times due to negligence or perhaps, lack of adequate information. Men aren’t sure what their prostate is, what it does, or when to call a doctor if they think they might have a problem. So, information is the best tool you have in dealing with this aspect of men’s health.

Prostate is a small gland that is part of the male reproductive system. It’s supposed to be about the shape and size of a walnut located between the bladder and the penis. The prostate is just in front of the rectum. The urethra runs through the center of the prostate, from the bladder to the penis, letting urine flow out of the body. The prostate secretes fluid that nourishes and protects sperm. During ejaculation, the prostate squeezes this fluid into the urethra and it’s expelled with sperm as semen.

As you age, your prostate can become larger. It’s a normal part of aging for most men. By the time you reach age 40, your prostate might have gone from the size of a walnut to the size of an apricot. By the time you reach 60, it might be the size of a lemon. If your prostate gets too large, it can cause health issues. Having prostate problems does not always mean you have cancer. Because it surrounds part of the urethra, the enlarged prostrate can squeeze that tube. This causes problems when you try to pee. Typically, you won’t see these problems until you’re 50 or older, but they can start earlier.

What Are the Five Warning Signs of Prostate Cancer?

• A painful or burning sensation during urination or ejaculation.
• Frequent urination, particularly at night.
• Difficulty stopping or starting urination.
• Sudden erectile dysfunction.
• Blood in urine or semen.

To diagnose the cause of the prostate problem, the doctor will do a rectal exam, patient history and take bacterial cultures if infection is suspected and ruling out prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is common in men over 50, especially in African Americans and in men who eat fatty food and/or have a father or brother with prostate cancer.

Initial procedures and tests to diagnose prostate cancer may include:

• A rectal exam
• Ultrasound
• Assessment of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels

Prostate cancer is definitively diagnosed by a tissue biopsy. Treatments for prostate cancer may include:

• Surveillance
• Surgery
• Radiation therapy
• Hormone therapy or other treatments such as radio waves, microwaves lasers

Treatments

How your doctor handles your condition depends on the details of your case : your age, how much trouble it’s causing, and more.

If you have an enlarged prostate but are not bothered by symptoms, you may be advised merely to get an annual checkup, which might include a variety of tests. If you have an enlarged prostate but are not bothered by symptoms, you may be advised merely to get an annual checkup, which might include a variety of tests. Men with severe symptoms who haven’t been helped by other treatments might have to turn to surgery.

Talk to your doctor about possible risks and outcomes.