Since a prostate cancer symptom can look the same as a symptom of something like BPH (enlarged prostate), it can be easy to mistake one for the other. It’s generally during routine examinations that prostate cancer is first detected. If you’re showing any of the following symptoms, you should probably go see your doctor immediately:

- Difficulty in retaining or passing urine

- The urge to urinate frequently, particularly at night

- Urine flow that’s weak or intermittent

- Painful or burning urination

- Urine or semen containing blood

- Difficulty in achieving an erection or painful ejaculations

- Frequent stiffness or pain in the lower back, upper thighs, or hips

There are other factors that can affect your risk of developing prostate cancer, which 1 out of 6 American men are afflicted with. This makes it the most common type of non-skin cancer for men. These other risk factor include:

Age. The risk rises sharply as men get older. Under age 40, the odds are roughly 1 in 10,000 to be diagnosed with prostate cancer. However, for men between the ages of 40 – 59, the rate increases to 1 in 38, and for men between 60 – 69, 1 in 15.

Family genetics. A man with a father or brother that’s been diagnosed with prostate cancer is 2 times more likely to develop it himself. If the prostate cancer was diagnosed in those family members at an early age (say, younger than 55), or if 3 or more family members were affected, the risk jumps greatly.

Race. African-American men have a 60% more likely chance to develop prostate cancer than men of Caucasian origin, with their odds of dying from the cancer being more than twice that of whites. For U.S. men overall, the risk of prostate cancer is 17%. Asian men living in Asian countries have the lowest overall cancer rate (2%), but for those who have moved into Western cultures, their risk has been shown to rise dramatically.

Location. Men living in cities above 40 degrees latitude (north of Columbus, OH, or Philadelphia, PA) have the highest risk of death from prostate cancer than for men anywhere else in the U.S. It is suspected that lower levels of sunlight during the wintertime reduces critical Vitamin D levels, increasing cancer risks.

Additional risk factors that can cause the exhibition of prostate cancer symptoms and the development of aggressive prostate cancer:

- Significant lack of high-fiber vegetables (e.g., broccoli) in the diet

- High calcium consumption

- Lack of exercise

- Excessive height.

Factors and conditions that apparently don’t increase the risk of developing prostate cancer include:

- Obesity, or having a high BMI (body mass index)

- Enlarged prostate (or BPH)

- Prostatitis

- An overly-active sex life

- Vasectomies

- OTC and prescription medications

- Alcohol

More than 200,000 new cases of prostate cancer are diagnosed each year in the U.S., and 32,000 men will die from it this year. Darrin Paulsent researched the subject to help men better distinguish between a true prostate cancer symptom and the more common prostate enlarged symptoms that are easily treatable.


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