It can be easy to mistake a prostate cancer symptom for symptoms of less critical conditions like enlarged prostate (BPH) or prostatitis. In most cases, a doctor is the first one to detect signs of prostate cancer, usually during a routine exam. That’s the reason why you should see your doctor if you’re experiencing any of these symptoms:
– Difficulty in urinating or holding urine
– Frequently urinating, quite often a night
– Urine flow that’s weak or intermittent
– Painful or burning urination
– Urine or semen containing blood
– Painful ejaculations or difficulty in achieving erections
– Frequent pain or stiffness in the lower back, hips, or upper thighs
There are also a number of other factors that influence the chances of developing prostate cancer. Prostate cancer affects one out of six American men, making it the most common type of non-skin cancer. These risk factors include:
Age. The risk rises sharply as men get older. Under age 40, the odds are roughly 1 in 10,000 to be diagnosed with prostate cancer. However, for men between the ages of 40 – 59, the rate increases to 1 in 38, and for men between 60 – 69, 1 in 15.
Family genetics. A man with a father or brother that’s been diagnosed with prostate cancer is 2 times more likely to develop it himself. If the prostate cancer was diagnosed in those family members at an early age (say, younger than 55), or if 3 or more family members were affected, the risk jumps greatly.
Race. Men of African-American ancestry are 60% more likely than Caucasian men to develop prostate cancer, with their odds of dying from it more than twice that of other races. The prostate cancer risk for U.S. men, overall, hovers around 17%. For Asian men still living in Asian countries, the cancer risk is the lowest (about 2%), but as they move into Western cultures, that risk tends to rise dramatically.
Location. U.S. men living in cities north of 40 degrees latitude (say, north of Columbus or Philadelphia) have the highest risk of dying from prostate cancer than men living elsewhere in the country. That tendency is widely attributed to the lower levels of sunlight available during the wintertime, reducing important Vitamin D levels and increasing cancer risks.
There are additional risk factors that can lead to demonstrating a prostate cancer symptom and the development of aggressive prostate cancer:
– Not eating nearly enough high-fiber vegetables
– High calcium consumption
– Lack of exercise
– Excessive height.
Factors and conditions that don’t seem to increase your risks for developing prostate cancer include:
– Obesity, or a high body mass index (BMI)
– An enlarged prostate (or benign prostate hypertrophy)
– Prostatitis
– Hypersexuality
– Vasectomies
– Prescription and over-the-counter drugs
– Alcohol
When author Chuck Viccente discovered his first potential prostate cancer symptom, it scared him so much that he began researching and writing articles on prostate enlarged symptoms, BPH, prostatitis, and other male health concerns. Here he gladly shares some of what he has learned.