Page 22 - Florida Sentinel 10-28-22

Health
– Blood in urine or semen
Advanced cancer can cause deep pain in the lower back, hips, or upper thighs.
Enlarged Prostate or Prostate Cancer?
The prostate can grow larger as men age, sometimes pressing on the bladder or urethra and causing symptoms similar to prostate cancer. This is called be- nign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). It's not cancer and can be treated if symptoms become bothersome. A third problem that can cause urinary symptoms is prostatitis. This inflammation or infection may also cause a fever and in many cases is treated with medication.
Can Prostate Cancer Be Found Early?
Screening tests are available to find prostate cancer early, but government guidelines don't call for routine testing in men at any age. The tests may find cancers that are so slow-growing that medical treatments would offer no benefit. And the treatments themselves can have serious side effects. The American Cancer So- ciety advises men to talk with a doctor about screening tests, be- ginning at:
– Age 50 for average-risk men who expect to live at least 10 more years
– Age 45 for men at high risk; this includes African-Amer- icans and those with a father, brother, or son diagnosed before age 65
– Age 40 for men with more than one first-degree relative di- agnosed at an early age
– The U.S.Preventive Serv- ices Task Force (USPSTF) says that testing may be appropriate for some men age 55 – 69. They recommend that men talk to their doctor to discuss the poten- tial risks and benefits of being tested.
What Is Prostate Can- cer?
Prostate cancer develops in a man's prostate, the walnut-sized gland just below the bladder that produces some of the fluid in semen. It's the most common cancer in men after skin cancer. Prostate cancer often grows very slowly and may not cause signif- icant harm. But some types are more aggressive and can spread quickly without treatment.
Symptoms of Prostate Cancer
In the early stages, men may have no symptoms. Later, symp- toms can include:
– Frequent urination, espe- cially at night
– Difficulty starting or stop- ping urination
– Weak or interrupted uri- nary stream
– Painful or burning sensa- tion during urination or ejacula- tion
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