Symptoms

Often, prostate cancer is discovered through a PSA test or DRE (see Risk Factors and Prevention) in otherwise healthy men who have not had any symptoms. When prostate cancer does cause symptoms, the following symptoms may occur. Sometimes, men with prostate cancer do not show any of these symptoms. Or, these symptoms may be caused by a medical condition that is not cancer. If you are concerned about a symptom on this list, please talk with your doctor.

• Frequent urination
  
  
• Weak or interrupted urine flow
  
  
• Hematuria (blood in the urine)
  
  
• The urge to urinate frequently at night
  
  
• Hematospermia (blood in the seminal fluid)
  
  
• Pain or burning during urination (much less common)

None of these symptoms is specific to prostate cancer, and the absence of symptoms does not mean that a man does not have prostate cancer. The same symptoms occur in men who have a noncancerous condition known as BPH, or enlarged prostate. Urinary symptoms also can indicate an infection or other conditions.

If cancer has spread beyond the prostate gland, a man may experience:

• Pain in the back, hips, thighs, shoulders, or other bones
  
  
• Unexplained weight loss
  
  
• Fatigue