6 Symptoms of Locally Advanced Prostate Cancer

Symptoms of locally advanced prostate cancer are signs that you should check with your doctor. Patients may not always experience symptoms of locally advanced prostate cancer, and many of the potential symptoms are not specific to locally advanced prostate cancer. Nevertheless, if you experience any of the following symptoms make an appointment with your doctor to determine what might be the cause.

•     Nocturia or waking up at night to urinate. While we all have to get up to urinate occasionally, if you are having to get up two or more times per night you need to discuss this with your doctor. In addition to being a symptom of a benign prostate condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), frequent nighttime urination can be a sign of diabetes or other heart conditions.You might try simply decreasing or eliminating drinking after your evening meal. Additionally, decreasing caffeinated and alcoholic beverages can decrease your urinary frequency. If these steps improve the nighttime awakenings to urinate than they are most likely the cause. If not or if you are concerned, make sure to discus with your doctor.
•     Weak urinary stream. As you age a weaker urinary stream often occurs. As a child many young boys attempt to see how far away they stand from a toilet or other object they may be trying to urinate on. What this means in very practical terms is that you likely have to stand closer to an object in your 50s and 60s compared to when you were younger. A weak urinary stream can also be a symptom of other conditions such as a urinary tract infection, a prostate infection called prostatitis, BPH, or a side effect of some common drugs like those used to treat allergies. Symptoms of a weakened urinary stream that you need to discuss with your doctor include:

•            Dribbling when you finish urinating
•            Difficulty in starting to urinate or hesitancy
•            Feeling as though you have to “go again” after recently urinating. This is a symptom of urinary retention.

•     Dysuria or pain when you urinate. While pain when you urinate could indicate symptoms of locally advanced prostate cancer, the pain could also just be a symptom of a prostate infection or a urinary tract infection. No matter what the cause, it always needs to be looked into by a healthcare professional.
•     Pain in thighs, lower back, or hips. Pain in these areas could be due to something simple like participating in activities that you have not done in a long time (e.g., like riding a bike), falling, or just regular arthritis. However, pain that does not improve with several days of rest or persists for more than a couple of weeks needs to be investigated.
•     Hematuria or blood in your urine. This is another symptom that should always trigger a visit to your doctor. In addition to prostate cancer, blood in your urine could be from several different kinds of cancer, disorders of your blood system that cause problems with clotting, or sickle cell disease.
•     Weight loss. While most Americans can stand to lose 10 or more pounds and most would love to do just that, unintended weight loss almost always means something is afoot. Possible causes include everything from depression to thyroid problems. Your doctor can help get to the bottom of whatever is causing your weight loss.

These symptoms of locally advanced prostate cancer can mimic many other diseases. The only way you will be able to tell what is causing your symptoms is to get to the doctor and get them checked out. 

Can Diabetes Cause Prostate Problems?

Can diabetes cause prostate problems? Diabetes, especially poorly managed diabetes, could be the cause of prostate troubles. Diabetes has several effects on blood flow and can damage blood vessels and nerves that lead to other problems in the body. Diabetes can make symptoms of some prostate conditions, such as enlarged prostate, also called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), worse for patients than these symptoms may be in non-diabetic patients.

Diabetes and BPH
A study published in the Journal of Urology in June 2000 shows that men who have diabetes experience worse symptoms of BPH than men without diabetes. The research looked at the records of 1,290 men with diabetes and 8,566 men without diabetes. All of the men were receiving drug treatment for BPH. Researchers compared BPH symptoms before and after drug treatment and found that men with diabetes had more symptoms and slower urine flow rate than those without diabetes. Their findings showed that men with diabetes have symptoms as severe as non-diabetic men eleven years older than them and a urine flow rate the same as non-diabetic men seven years older then them.

Can diabetes cause prostate problems such as BPH? According to other studies, the exact relationship of BPH to diabetes remains unclear because the specific pathway interfering in the development of both conditions is still poorly investigated. Research indicates that diabetes may substantially influence the risk of BPH and lower urinary tract symptoms in older men. The presence of insulin-like growth factor (IGF) has been known for decades to exist in prostatic tissue. Evidence suggests that an association between BPH and diabetes through a common pathogenic mechanism through altered male hormone activity influenced by IGF is possible. Future studies may determine the effect of insulin and the abnormalities of glucose homeostasis in the development of BPH.

Diabetes and Prostatitis
Prostatitis is a poorly understood condition affecting many men, and there are many potential causes. Diabetes could play contributing role, especially poorly managed diabetes. Hyperglycemia causes damage to blood vessels and nerves, leading to several chronic conditions that affect feet, eyes, kidneys, the heart, and potentially the prostate. Excess sugars make the body less resistant to infections, and that is why poorly managed diabetes causes frequent urinary tract infections and other infections in the body. Increased urinary tract infections can irritate the prostate area or cause bacteria to enter the prostate and lead to prostatitis.

Diabetes and Prostate Cancer
There are not many studies showing that diabetes leads to prostate cancer, but there is some evidence of a slightly reduced risk of prostate cancer in well-managed diabetic patients. Diabetes that is not well controlled can actually increase risk of a more aggressive prostate cancer, so controlling diabetes is key to prostate health.

While it is not especially clear the effect of diabetes on the prostate, what is very clear is that it is important to control blood sugar and manage diabetes well for optimum prostate health. While diabetes can make symptoms worse for certain conditions such as BPH, whether diabetes actually causes the conditions remains to be studied further. Future research may identify interventions that can prevent, diagnose, and treat these common conditions.