Prostate Cancer Symptoms
Prostate cancer symptoms tend to develop in the later stages of the condition. In the initial stages, prostate cancer rarely produces any warning signs, although any of the following complications can signal a possible problem with the prostate gland:
- Frequent urination (especially at night)
- Painful urination (e.g., a painful or burning sensation)
- Painful ejaculation
- Problems starting or stopping a stream of urine
- Blood in the urine or semen
- Weakened, decreased or interrupted flow of urine
- Pain in the pelvic area, lower back, hips or thighs
- Difficulty getting or maintaining an erection
- Bone pain that doesn’t go away or leads to fractures
These prostate cancer symptoms typically develop when a cancerous growth or an enlarged prostate blocks the urethra or bladder. However, because the symptoms may also be caused by a noncancerous condition, such as a urinary tract infection, physicians will order one or more diagnostic tests to determine the underlying cause. If a physician suspects cancer, he or she may recommend a digital rectal exam (DRE) to assess the size of a patient’s prostate gland, or order a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test to check for unusually high levels of the protein in a patient’s blood.
At Moffitt Cancer Center, we provide a number of services for prostate cancer. At our Genitourinary Oncology Clinic, we administer several diagnostic exams to help detect prostate cancer in its earliest stages. If a patient’s symptoms are the result of a cancerous growth, we will create an individualized treatment plan based on the consensus of our multispecialty prostate cancer tumor board.
Medically reviewed by Monica Chatwal, MD.
To make an appointment with the prostate cancer experts in our Genitourinary Oncology Program, call 1-888-663-3488, or schedule a new patient appointment by completing our new patient registration form. No referral is required to discuss your prostate cancer symptoms with one of our experienced oncologists.