What are the symptoms of prostate cancer? If there are no symptoms, how is prostate cancer detected?

What are the symptoms of prostate cancer?

If the cancer is caught at its earliest stages, most men will not experience any symptoms. Some men, however, will experience symptoms such as frequent, hesitant, or burning urination, difficulty in having an erection, or pain or stiffness in the lower back, hips or upper thighs.

Because these symptoms can also indicate the presence of other diseases or disorders, men who experience any of these symptoms will undergo a thorough work-up to determine the underlying cause of the symptoms. You can read more about prostate cancer symptoms here.

If there are no symptoms, how is prostate cancer detected?

Screening for prostate cancer can be performed in a physician’s office. Prostate specific antigen (PSA) testing is the current test of choice for prostate cancer screening. During a PSA test, a small amount of blood is drawn from the arm, and the level of PSA is measured.

When there’s a problem with the prostate—such as the development and growth of prostate cancer—more PSA is released. This can be the first indicator of prostate cancer. More testing, such as digital rectal exam (DRE), imaging, and, ultimately, a biopsy, is required to confirm a diagnosis.