Three prostate cancer warning signs you should never ignore

Unlike many other types of cancer, prostate cancer rarely requires aggressive treatment.

In fact, many men who get a diagnosis are surprised to learn that the next step doesn’t involve any treatment at all. I’ll tell you why in a moment.

But first let’s look at the three red flags that signal something may be amiss with your prostate.

Sorting out potential dangers in the warning signs

Prostate cancer can present in a number of different ways, but three primary symptoms stand out…

  • Bladder control issues

This symptom ranges from urinary incontinence to the opposite problem of reduced urine flow, which prompts frequent urination. In the latter issue, poor elimination is far more likely to be caused by an enlarged prostate—a condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), which affects about 8 in 10 men who reach their 70s. But cancer can also cause the prostate gland to pinch the urethra, which impedes urine flow. This commonly prompts sleep disruption with a frequent need to urinate during the night.

  • Blood in urine or semen

As with the bladder control issue, this symptom might be caused by cancer or another problem, such as urinary tract infection or kidney stones. In many cases, only a trace of blood will appear.

  • Pelvic pain

Cancer growth can interfere with nerves, prompting sharp pains in the pelvic area. In some cases this causes numbness, swelling, or pain in the hips or lower back.

Other symptoms that may indicate prostate cancer include sudden erectile dysfunction, burning or pain during urination or ejaculation, unexplained weight loss, and bone pain.

Prostate cancer is most common in men over age 60, but whatever your age, these symptoms need to be checked out by your doctor.

The key to finding your best approach

The good news about prostate cancer is that men are more likely to die with it than from it.

That’s because a large percentage of prostate cancers grow very slowly and stay localized in the gland. Before this was understood, many men experienced grueling overtreatment with unnecessary surgeries and removal of their prostate.

Thankfully, more and more doctors now understand that “watchful waiting” or “active surveillance” are better options than surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation for many prostate cancer patients.

As Dr. Marc Micozzi notes in his Insider’s Ultimate Guide to Perfect Prostate Health, determining your prostate cancer’s aggressiveness is the key to understanding the best approach to take.

To assess cancer’s aggressiveness, Dr. Micozzi highlights several risk factors you and your doctor must consider, including:

  • Gleason score

If your doctor determines that prostate cancer is likely, they’ll conduct a biopsy, which is a simple procedure that can be conducted in your doctor’s exam room. A pathologist rates the biopsy samples using the Gleason grade group system. Gleason scores range from 1 to 5—low to high risk.

  • Age

The older you are, the more likely you are to develop prostate cancer. But age isn’t tied to cancer aggressiveness. In fact, if you’re over age 65, watchful waiting is more likely to be the best approach.

  • Race

In the U.S., black men run a higher risk of developing aggressive prostate cancer than white men do, perhaps because of lower vitamin D levels due to darker skin.

  • Vitamin D

According to a recent Northwestern University study, a low vitamin D level increases your risk of developing an aggressive prostate cancer. Dr. Micozzi believes that a vitamin D level between 50 nmol/L and 75 nmol/L is required for optimal general health and cancer prevention.

  • History of drug use

Specifically, drugs that treat erectile dysfunction or low testosterone may boost risk of developing a more aggressive prostate cancer.

If your doctor’s assessment of these factors points to the likelihood of a less aggressive tumor, watchful waiting or active surveillance may be good options for you.

Choosing a plan and moving forward

Watchful waiting and active surveillance are both intended to provide the best care with the least amount of disruption to you and your quality of life. But these two approaches are quite different.

In watchful waiting, your doctor will advise you about symptoms to be on the lookout for and will likely continue to conduct digital rectal exams.

Your doctor will probably also use blood tests to periodically check your level of prostate specific antigen (PSA). This test is now recognized to be an unreliable way to diagnose prostate cancer, but it can be a useful tool in tracking the growth and spread of existing prostate cancer.

Active surveillance is a little more involved.

Dr. Micozzi notes these three active surveillance steps recommended by his colleague, Alan J. Wein, M.D., Chief of Urology at University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine:

  • A second biopsy within one year of prostate cancer diagnosis
  • After that, regular biopsies every two years after diagnosis
  • Regular PSA screenings

In addition to those steps, Dr. Micozzi recommends two more:

  • Digital rectal exams every six months
  • An annual vitamin D testing

You can find Dr. Micozzi’s complete details about prostate cancer prevention and treatment—including dietary and supplement recommendations, as well as additional prostate cancer risk factors—in his Insider’s Ultimate Guide to Perfect Prostate Health.

Click here to learn more about this exhaustively researched protocol, or to enroll today.