Genitourinary Oncology Program

Prostate Cancer

Symptoms and Screening

There are usually no specific signs or symptoms of early prostate cancer, so a man may live for many years without ever knowing he has the disease. As the cancer grows, it may eventually cause the prostate to squeeze the urethra, and a man may experience symptoms (such as difficulty in urinating) that are similar to other common noncancerous conditions of the prostate. In later stages of the disease, the most common symptom is bone pain. If a man experiences any of the following symptoms, he should see a doctor:

Weak or interrupted flow of urine
Frequent urination (especially at night)
Difficulty urinating or holding back urine
Inability to urinate
Pain or burning when urinating
Blood in the urine or semen
Nagging pain in the back, hips, or pelvis

These symptoms are common to many conditions and diseases of the genito-urinary tract and do not necessarily indicate that a man has prostate cancer. However, they should be evaluated by a physician.

Routine prostate screening - including an annual physical examination, a digital rectal examination (DRE), and a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test - becomes increasingly important as men age and provides the best chance of detecting early prostate cancer.

The digital rectal examination (DRE) is an examination performed in a physician's office in which the doctor inserts a gloved, lubricated finger into the rectum in order to feel the prostate. The prostate-specific androgen (PSA) test is a blood test in which the blood is examined to look for PSA, a substance that often increases in a man who has prostate cancer or another prostate disease. If a man's PSA levels are high compared to others in his age group, there is a higher chance that he may have prostate cancer.

The American Cancer Society recommends that these tests be offered annually to men age 50 and older. In addition, men with two first-degree relatives who have had the disease and men of African-American descent should consult with their doctors about starting prostate cancer screenings at a younger age.

Your doctor can recommend to you when to start prostate screening based on your medical history and risk factors.

This page was last updated on: March 4, 2008.