What are the symptoms of prostate cancer?

Written by Zhou Zi Hua
Oncology
Updated on September 19, 2024
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Early-stage prostate cancer generally has no symptoms, but if the patient also has prostate enlargement, or in cases of mid to late-stage prostate cancer where the tumor invades the urethra or bladder, various degrees of urinary obstruction or irritative urinary symptoms may occur. This is characterized by frequent urination and urgency. If there are local infiltrative symptoms, perineal pain and sciatica might occur. If the vas deferens is compressed, it can cause back pain and pain in the testicles on the affected side. Invasion of the rectum can cause difficulty in defecation or obstruction of the colon, and if the membranous part of the urethra is involved, urinary incontinence may occur. The most common site of metastasis for prostate cancer is the bones. If it spreads to the bones, it can cause bone pain, pathological fractures, anemia, and spinal cord compression leading to paralysis of the lower limbs.

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Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
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Is prostate cancer prone to metastasis?

Prostate cancer most commonly metastasizes to bones, with multiple bone metastases frequently observed clinically. In fact, the majority of prostate cancer patients already have multiple bone metastases by the time they are diagnosed. Therefore, bone is the most common distant organ to which prostate cancer spreads. Other distant organ metastases, such as to the lungs and liver, are less common, unless in very advanced stages of the disease. Additionally, prostate cancer commonly invades locally, spreading to nearby pelvic structures and tissues, such as the bladder and rectum, which is a common form of local invasion and spread.

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Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
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Best treatment methods for prostate cancer

Treatment methods for prostate cancer include surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and endocrine therapy, among others. The choice of specific treatment methods is comprehensively considered based on the stage of the disease and the patient's physical condition. Early-stage prostate cancer patients can choose prostatectomy or radical radiotherapy. For patients with locally advanced T3 or T4 stage prostate cancer, since the efficacy of prostatectomy alone is relatively poor, radiotherapy combined with endocrine therapy can be chosen. For patients with metastatic prostate cancer, those who are found to have bone metastasis or distant metastasis from the onset, endocrine therapy is primarily used. If endocrine therapy is ineffective or fails, chemotherapy can also be adopted for these late-stage metastatic prostate cancer patients. If the bone metastasis causes pain, local radiotherapy can also be used to alleviate the pain symptoms.

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Written by Liu Liang
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Typical symptoms of prostate cancer

Early-stage prostate patients often do not exhibit significant clinical symptoms. However, when the prostate cancer tumor invades the surrounding tissues and structures, it can cause corresponding clinical manifestations such as urinary tract irritation and urinary obstruction. Symptoms include difficulty urinating or frequent urination, painful urination, and even urinary incontinence, perineal pain, and sciatica. Bone metastasis is a common site of metastasis in prostate cancer patients, causing pain in the affected area and even pathological fractures.

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Written by Zhou Zi Hua
Oncology
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Pathological classification of prostate cancer

The classification of precancerous lesions of prostate cancer is divided into two categories: intraductal carcinoma of the prostate and atypical adenomatous hyperplasia. Among these, the relationship between intraductal carcinoma of the prostate and prostate cancer is the closest. Intraductal carcinoma of the prostate is currently recognized as a precancerous lesion of prostate cancer, while atypical adenomatous hyperplasia has not been proven to be a precancerous lesion of prostate cancer according to current evidence. However, the biological behavior of this atypical adenomatous hyperplasia is not very clear yet, so it should be closely monitored. The histological classification of prostate cancer mainly includes the majority of acinar adenocarcinoma and a small amount of ductal adenocarcinoma, with acinar adenocarcinoma being a highly invasive malignant tumor.

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Can people with prostate cancer eat mutton?

Patients with prostate cancer can eat mutton. There is a folk belief about certain foods being "heaty", which refers to foods like mutton, beef, roosters, and bamboo shoots, often labeled as such and believed to be unsuitable for consumption. However, this belief is unscientific. From a medical perspective, patients with prostate cancer should primarily avoid junk food, such as barbecued items, pickled and smoked products, and especially oily and high-fat foods. Reducing the intake of these foods is recommended. Other than that, all other foods can be eaten, as long as there is a balanced nutrition and a good mix of meat, eggs, vegetables, and fruits. The idea of the so-called "heaty" foods is not scientifically based.