Gentleman, when it comes to prostate cancer symptoms sometimes your body sends you warnings that are loud and clear and hard to ignore – like extreme pain while using the bathroom or blood in your urine. Other times your body may just whisper – like a slight pain in your back or changes to urination, which you may attribute to the aging process.
The reality is, whether your body is shouting at you or talking quietly, you need to listen and have it checked out by your doctor. The sooner prostate cancer is diagnosed, the better the prognosis.
So, let’s look at some of the possible symptoms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Now pay attention! While they may be caused by other medical issues, you don’t want to ignore any of them – even if they are subtle. Afterall, “symptoms are symptoms,” the Prostate Cancer Foundation says.
Prostate Cancer Symptoms
- Frequent urination, especially during the night
- Pain or burning while using the bathroom
- Changes to bathroom habits
- Pressure or pain in the rectum
- A weak or interrupted flow of urine
- Difficulty when you first start to urinate
- Trouble emptying the bladder
- Pain in the back, hip or pelvis that is persistent
- Weakness or numbness in the legs or feet
- Blood or urine in the semen
- Painful ejaculation
- Erectile dysfunction
Other symptoms according to the Urology Care Foundation include:
- Weight loss
- Appetite loss
- Bone pain
Keep in mind, early stages of prostate cancer may not have any symptoms at all because the tumor generally may not push on anything to cause pain. So it may lurk silently in the prostate for years without detection, according to the Prostate Cancer Foundation.
Prostate Cancer Screening
That’s why regular checkups are important may include the following traditional screenings:
- Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) Test: A blood test measuring the levels of PSA, a substance made by the prostate. Generally, the higher the PSA level the more likely a prostate issue may be present.
- The Digital Rectal Exam or DRE: A physical test where doctors feel the prostate for abnormalities.
- When a potential problem is found, further testing like and MRI or a biopsy could be required.
Prostate Cancer Treatment
If you are diagnosed with prostate cancer, there are different treatment options depending on the type and stage of cancer, your age and your overall health. Those treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, other drug therapies and radiation therapy. Sometimes a combination of treatments is necessary.
However, more than 60,000 American men choose radiation therapy to treat prostate cancer each year, according to the Prostate Cancer Foundation.
The cure rate for prostate cancer with radiation is well-documented, and there is a proven safety track record. But not all radiation treatments are the same.
CyberKnife Miami for Prostate Cancer Care
CyberKnife, which uses a state-of-the-art form of radiation called stereotactic body radiation therapy or SBRT, has a 98% cure rate for prostate cancer. That’s just one reason more than 20,000 men have been treated with CyberKnife according to Accuray, the company that makes CyberKnife.
The experts at the CyberKnife Center of Miami, who see prostate cancer patients on a regular basis agree. Here are some distinct advantages.
- It’s noninvasive.
- There is no anesthesia or cutting.
- It doesn’t come with the risks of surgery like infection and long periods of downtime.
- CyberKnife’s treatments can be done in five therapy sessions over 10 days instead of 42 over three months with other types of radiation treatments.
- The CyberKnife radiation beams, which target and destroy the tumor, are exceedingly precise. That means there are less risks of side effects including impotence and incontinence. That’s a relief to most men who are looking for alternative treatment options for prostate cancer.
“CyberKnife is an amazingly precise way to deliver radiation to the prostate,” says Dr. Mark Pomper, board-certified radiation oncologist and medical director of CyberKnife Miami on CyberKnife Miami’s YouTube Channel. “It’s not readily available in all places, but Miami is blessed to have the CyberKnife Center of Miami, which has an amazing amount of experience.”
Prostate Cancer Treatment Near Me
If you or someone you love is diagnosed with prostate cancer, contact the experts at CyberKnife Miami for a consultation. We treat patients from across South Florida, the United States and even around the world.
If you would like to find out more about prostate cancer treatment with CyberKnife, call us at 305-279-2900 or go to our prostate cancer website now for more information.