A man with prostate cancer may not have any symptoms. For men who have symptoms of prostate cancer, common symptoms include:
- Urinary Problems
Not being able to urinate
Having a hard time starting or stopping the urine flow
Needing to urinate often, especially at night
Weak flow of urine
Urine flow that starts and stops
Pain or burning during urination - Difficulty having an erection
- Blood in the urine or semen
- Frequent pain in the lower back, hips, or upper thighs
Most often, these symptoms are not due to cancer. BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia), an infection, or another health problem may cause them. Any man with these symptoms should tell his doctor so that problems can be diagnosed and treated as early as possible. He may see his regular doctor or a urologist. A urologist is a doctor whose specialty is diseases of the urinary system.
Important Biopsy Questions to Ask Your Doctor
You may want to ask the doctor these questions before having a biopsy:
- Where will the biopsy take place?
- Will I have to go to the hospital?
- How long will it take?
- Will I be awake?
- Will it hurt?
- What are the risks?
- What are the chances of infection or bleeding after the biopsy?
- How long will it take me to recover?
- How soon will I know the results?
- If I do have cancer, who will talk to me about the next steps? When?
- Will I still be able to have an active sex life?
