Symptoms and Complications
Usually prostate tumors are small and cause no symptoms. That's why most of them are only discovered during blood screening tests or surgery for benign prostatic hyperplasia, which often does cause noticeable symptoms.
Large, advanced tumors can press on other organs such as the bladder, causing incontinence (reduced bladder control) or making urination difficult or painful. Problems related to urination may occur as a result of prostate cancer because the urethra (the tube that carries urine from the bladder out of the body) passes directly through the prostate gland. These tumors may also interfere with the nerves responsible for erection of the penis, which leads to erectile dysfunction.
Advanced tumors can also cause:
- pain by pressing on the spine or pelvis,
- burning or pain when urinating,
- pain when ejaculating,
- blood to appear in the urine or semen, or
- pain or stiffness in the lower back, hips, or upper thighs.
If cells from a tumor break off and move into the bloodstream, they can settle in distant parts of the body, and start dividing to form new tumors. This process of migration is called metastasis, and the new tumors are called metastases. You may suffer pain in distant parts of the body if the cancer has metastasized.
As well as traveling by blood, loose cancerous cells can be carried through the lymphatic system, which is a network of tubes that carry lymph (a clear liquid containing waste products and immune cells). From there, it can spread to various lymph nodes and other organs. The lymphatic system is the main carrier of metastases in prostate cancer. Secondary tumors can grow in the lungs, brain, bones, lymph nodes, or almost anywhere else.