17 Warning Signs Of Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is more serious than most men realize. It is also far more common than you may think: according to the American Cancer Association, a whopping one in nine men will receive this unfortunate diagnosis within their lifetime.

To make matters worse, most men don’t suspect they have prostate cancer until it has advanced. That is when many of the symptoms become very noticeable.

However, the earlier you get screened and get diagnosed, the sooner you can begin treatment. That’s why we put together this list of major prostate cancer warning signs. If you are experiencing one or more of these signs, don’t hesitate to go to your doctor and request a cancer screening immediately!

1. Frequent urination

There are many prostate cancer warnings centered around urination. The first of these is frequent urination at night. If you have to worry about how much liquid you drink before bedtime, consider this a warning sign!

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2. Lack of control during urination

Whether or not you are urinating too frequently, you should also be wary of losing control while urinating If you can’t stop urinating when you want to, or can’t urinate when you want to, these may be signs of prostate cancer.

3. Weak urination flow

It’s not exactly polite dinner conversation, but every man knows what his “normal” urination flow strength is. A swollen prostate can press on your urethra and make your flow noticeably weaker.

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4. Pain when urinating

Even if you aren’t experiencing the other urination symptoms we have outlined, you should pay attention if you experience a painful or burning sensation when you pee. This could simply be a sign of bladder infection, but it may also be a sign of prostate cancer. Be sure to have this checked out by your doctor.

5. Bloody urine

One of the most obvious signs that you have a health problem is if you see blood in your urine. This could be a result of prostate cancer, bladder cancer, a nasty infection, or something else very serious, so go see your doctor right away if there is blood when you pee.

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6. Swollen feet and legs

Of course, not all the warning signs of prostate cancer have to do with urination. One of the most surprising signs is swelling in your feet and legs. In the advanced stages of prostate cancer, blockage in your lymph nodes can make these appendages swell up.

7. Hip and upper thigh pain

Prostate cancer can lead to pain in surprising parts of your body. For example, you may feel pain in your hips and/or upper thighs. If there is no other explanation for this sudden pain, then take it as a warning sign.

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8. Pain in your pelvic area

As prostate cancer advances, it can spread to other parts of your body and cause unexpected pain. You may eventually experience pain in your pelvic area that feels like a dull toothache.

9. Pain or numbness in your feet and legs

Earlier, we talked about how your feet and legs swelling up may be a warning sign of prostate cancer. But even if you don’t experience such swelling, you should watch out for pain in your feet and legs that comes from cancer putting added pressure onto your spinal cord.

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10. Pain in your bones

If you have prostate cancer, you may even experience deep pain in your bones. This may be a sign that prostate cancer has traveled into your bones and turned into bone cancer.

11. Difficulty with stairs

You may not notice pain or weakness in your feet and legs until you have to ascend the stairs. If your pain is keeping you from easily walking upstairs or easily walking at all, then you may have prostate cancer.

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12. Persistent lower back pain

Occasional back pain is very common, especially as you get older. But such back pain is usually temporary. If you have chronic back pain that doesn’t respond to treatment attempts, prostate cancer may be to blame.

13. Pain when sitting down

Just as you may not notice pain in your body until you try to walk upstairs, there are some pains that you may not notice until you sit down. But persistent pain when you sit down may be a sign that prostate cancer is spreading to other parts of your body.

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`14. Unexpected weight loss

As we get older, most men would love to magically lose some of their excess pounds overnight. But if you are suddenly losing weight without making any changes to your exercise routine or diet, then it could be a sign of prostate cancer or some other major health problem.

15. Bloody semen

Remember when we said that blood in your urine was a major warning sign? Blood in your semen is the same way. If you are over 40 and see blood after you ejaculate, then it is important to visit your doctor immediately because you may have advanced prostate cancer.

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16. Painful climax

While there may not be blood in your semen, other aspects of your sex life can be a warning sign of prostate cancer. This includes if you experience pain when climaxing and/or if you have a noticeably reduced volume of semen (though the latter can be affected by both what you have been eating and how much water you have been drinking).

17. Erectile dysfunction

Every man dreads getting erectile dysfunction. Unfortunately, there are many potential physical and mental causes of ED. But prostate cancer is a potential cause, so if you are currently experiencing this dysfunction, it is important that you get screened right away.

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