Prostate cancer is a dangerous health condition in which the cells in a person’s prostate grow unnaturally, aggressively, and out of control. Like other malignancies, prostate cancer can assume life-threatening proportions if not diagnosed and addressed in its initial stages. However, healthcare professionals can treat the condition successfully if a person pays attention to the warning signs of the condition. Some of the leading indicators of prostate cancer are discussed below.

Urinating difficulties
Prostate cancer affects a person’s urination and the organs contributing to the process. So, people with this condition tend to have weakened or slow urine flow. Moreover, individuals with this condition also experience pain in the lower abdomen and urethra while urinating. Other issues, such as an excessive urge to urinate and a lack of control over how the urine flows, are common problems people face in all stages of prostate cancer.

If people face pain while urinating or any other difficulty, they must immediately consult a doctor or oncologist for a cancer screening test.

Frequent urination
Besides pain during urination, prostate cancer patients might also experience irregular urination patterns in all stages of the condition. As the cells grow out of control into tumors, the adjacent cells and tissues soon start feeling the strain. Eventually, the aggressive cell growth grows into a toxin-filled tumor within the prostate of men with this condition. This tumor tends to put extreme pressure on the bladder and urethra of the individuals.

Combined with all these factors, one of the earliest signs of prostate cancer is the frequent and urgent need to urinate. The frequency of such urges can get alarming, with a person feeling a urinating sensation multiple times per hour.

Muscle loss without trying
All kinds of cancer affect the supply of blood and nutrients to different parts of the body. Due to this, the various muscles and organs in the body do not receive the proper nourishment required for growth and development. This results in people with this condition experiencing a dramatic loss of muscle mass without exercising or working out that much. When one loses a lot of muscle quickly, they must visit a health expert to know the underlying reasons.

Loss of bowel control
People with prostate cancer might experience irregularities in their bowel movements as well. As implied earlier, the rectum is located close to the prostate. So, when the prostate enlarges and grows out of control, the contents of the rectum are emptied without the knowledge or will of the person with cancer. Prostate cancer is also linked to constipation, rectal bleeding, and diarrhea.

Health experts might suggest surgery, lifestyle changes, pelvic floor surgery, radiation therapy, and other treatment alternatives for relief.

Fatigue
Blood flow and circulation are severely affected in cases of prostate cancer. It means that oxygen, iron, and other elements that energize people and give them the strength and resilience to get through their day cannot reach vital organs like the brain and lungs in the later stages of prostate cancer. This results in prostate cancer patients experiencing frequent episodes of fatigue. Such individuals may not even have the energy to perform tasks like climbing stairs or skipping a few times without experiencing shortness of breath.

Blood in urine
Eventually, as the tumor grows beyond control in the prostate, it could cause hemorrhages in the surrounding areas of the abdomen. Internal wounds may go unnoticed initially and later become a major survival problem. It results in hematuria in people. Hematuria is a condition in which one secretes blood along with urine whenever they copulate.

The presence of blood in a person’s urine is one of the most common indicators of prostate cancer in individuals. If there is even an inkling of blood in a person’s daily urine, accompanied by other symptoms, they must undergo screening for prostate cancer immediately.

Urinary incontinence
Usually, the bladder muscles are strong and flexible enough to last in most situations. Therefore, even when someone has a full bladder, these muscles are under intense pressure, but they hold the urine until the person finally lets it all out in the restroom.

However, in cases of prostate cancer, the bladder tends to lose control due to the prostate experiencing an unstoppable growth of malignant cells. This results in people losing the ability to hold urine in their bladder. Eventually, the condition worsens, and people with prostate cancer lose urine control even when they sneeze or laugh loudly.

Urinary incontinence tends to happen during some of the advanced stages of prostate cancer. Therefore, if a person experiences an inability to control their urine, they need to undergo screenings for prostate cancer urgently for early diagnosis and prompt treatment.

Pain and discomfort when sitting
The rapid growth of malignant cells in people tends to cause pain in the lower abdomen and, pointedly, in the prostate organ. Pronounced prostate pain may not always be a definitive indication of prostate cancer. The main reason behind this pain is the unnatural enlargement of a person’s prostate, which makes it press against nearby structures such as the bladder and rectum. As a result, people with this condition tend to feel discomfort, cramps, and pain in that area. Abnormal cell growth in the prostate triggers pain or discomfort while sitting down, rising from a seated position, or bending. As the tumor grows, it puts intense pressure on the surrounding tissues and organs, making it difficult for people to sit for long periods.

Metastasizing, or the spreading of cancerous cells to other parts of the body, is also a significant cause of pain in the prostate area for patients. However, metastasizing happens only in some of the advanced stages of any cancer.