Prostate cancer symptoms: Five easy-to-miss signs of the deadly disease
PROSTATE cancer symptoms can easily be mistaken for less serious conditions, but because the cancer is so common it’s important to recognise all the signs. There are five easy-to-miss symptoms to watch out for.
Prostate cancer: What are the signs and symptoms?
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in the UK, with figures showing one in eight will be diagnosed during their lifetime.
Symptoms usually develop when the cancer grows and puts pressure on the urethra (the tube that connects the urinary bladder to the penis).
But even then, symptoms of prostate cancer can easily be missed.
Here are five signs linked to the disease that aren’t always picked up on.
Prostate cancer - there are five easy-to-miss symptoms to watch out for
Weak flow of urine
If you go to the toilet and your urine stream isn’t as strong, it could be a sign of the disease, according to the NHS.
Decreased flow can happen as a result of the tumour pressing on the urethra.
Swollen feet or legs
If prostate cancer spreads to the lymph nodes it can leas to a condition known as lymphoedema.
The body’s lymphatic system is linked to the immune system and carries fluid, called lymph, around the body.
If it becomes blocked, fluid can build up and cause swelling.
Constipation
If prostate cancer spreads to the bowel, symptoms such as constipation can begin.
Those diagnosed with cancer already may also experience constipation as a result of some chemotherapy drugs, anti-sickness drugs and painkillers, advises cancer charity Macmillan.
Back pain
Back pain from prostate cancer can occur if the cancer has spread to the bones in the back.
In a 2013 study it was found back pain signals a higher than expected rate of prostate cancer.
Researchers studied men who reported this kind of pain after one year and then again 10 years later.
The incidence of prostate cancer was five times higher a year later among men who had back pain compared to what would have been expected.
Ten years later, prostate cancer was 50 per cent more common among men with back pain.
Unexplained weight loss
Small weight changes over tine are quite normal, but if you lose a noticeable amount of weight without trying to you should tell your doctor.
Losing weight without trying to is associated with most types of cancer.