Prostate cancer is one of the commonly occurring cancers in human males.
Prostate cancer is when the cells in a human male's prostate, which is a small gland that produces the seminal fluid that nourishes and transports sperms, turns cancerous.
Prostate cancer is one of the commonly occurring cancers in human males.
There are different types of prostate cancer: adenocarcinoma of the prostate, transitional cell carcinoma of the prostate, squamous cell carcinoma of the prostate and small cell prostate cancer.
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What are the early signs of prostate cancer?
Though cancer is said to be a silent killer as its presence is detected only at a later stage where the course of action of disease is irreversible and unstoppable there are few early signs which actually give a hint of the presence of cancerous cells.
The early signs of prostate cancer are:
Change in urination pattern: During the onset of the disease an individual may experience a change in urination pattern. The man may have the urge to urinate frequently, especially at night. This might also disturb the sleeping pattern of the person.
Pain in the pelvis region: Many people tolerate the pain until it starts impairing them in doing their daily chores. Even this is seen in cases of those having prostate cancer. Due to the impact of the cancerous cells pain is felt in the hips and pelvis region.
Pain during urination: One experiences painful urination and sometimes these urinations are difficult to pass on as a result of which the individual is unable to empty the bladder properly.
What are the factors that can put you at risk
While the cause for prostate cancer is not clearly known, there are several factors that can increase your chances of developing the disease:
Age: Your risk of prostate cancer rises as you grow older. The disease gets more common for people above 80 years.
Family history: If a blood relative already has prostate cancer, then you are at a higher risk of developing the cancer due to similar genes.
Obesity: Being obese put you at a higher risk of prostate cancer. Further, the cancer is more likely to be aggressive for those who are obese.
When should you definitely visit a doctor?
Apart from the signs mentioned above, when you see the following signs you must make an appointment with your doctor:
Blood in urine or semen
Sudden onset of erectile dysfunction
Enduring pain in pelvis
Continuing urination issue
Burning sensation while urinating
Pain during ejaculation
Difficulty in starting urination
Here’s why you should have regular health checkups
Doctors have always advised on yearly health checkups after a certain age or when a person has certain health complications.
Regular health checkups can spot a disease at an early stage. Early signs often get missed, especially in a serious disease like cancer. In such cases, checkups can catch the onset of the disease and track its progress.
Important points to know
Regular health checkup is as important as self monitoring and self observation. Any symptom irrespective of how small that might look or feel to you, should be treated at the very instant without any delay.
Always remember severe diseases grow rapidly and with each passing day, when you leave it to go on its own, you actually give the disease the scope to grow more.
Regular visits to doctor after a certain age, monitoring your body for any visible signs, living a healthy life are essential and should never be compromised.