An oncologist has shared symptoms of cancer which mean that you should visit a doctor.
When it comes to cancer there are a terrifying variety of symptoms out there, and alarmingly these can also mean a less serious health condition.
This of course makes it all the more important to get checked out if you are worried that something is wrong, because the symptoms can easily be confused.
Symptoms and signs can also vary a lot depending on what kind of cancer you are looking for as well.
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Breast cancer will manifest very differently from lung cancer, for example, so it's important to know what to look for for each type.
With that in mind, here we are going to speak specifically about prostate cancer.
Doctor Jiri Kubes is an oncologist who has opened up about some of the symptoms that you should watch out for if you have a prostate, and so could be someone who develops this particular type of cancer.
These included symptoms which affect how you pee, as an enlarged prostate or cancer can impact this.
Dr Kubes told The Mirror: “In many cases symptoms only arise once the tumour is big enough to place pressure on the urethra, which is the tube running from the bladder.
“When this happens, we can see urinary symptoms such as needing to pee more frequently, waking often in the night to pee, hesitancy and a weak flow, among others. But ideally we want to be catching the cancer before this happens.”
Dr Kubes said: “Although much improvement has been made in terms of diagnosis, we still need to ensure men are speaking to their doctors at the very earliest opportunities. This is difficult because prostate cancer often comes without symptoms in the early stages.”
But he added that there was one reason to be particularly vigilant with prostate cancer.
“In many cases symptoms only arise once the tumour is big enough to place pressure on the urethra, which is the tube running from the bladder," he said.
He added: “It’s a sad fact that many men are still being diagnosed far too late.”
Dr Kubes urged people to get checked out, particularly as they get older and become more at risk.
“Changes to the prostate are very common as men age. But it’s always worth getting checked to make sure. There is no need for any embarrassment.”
Cleveland Clinic has listed some of the symptoms that you can watch out for.
Signs and symptoms of prostate cancer
- Frequent, sometimes urgent, need to pee, especially at night
- Weak urine flow or flow that starts and stops
- Pain or burning when you pee (dysuria)
- Loss of bladder control (urinary incontinence)
- Loss of bowel control (fecal incontinence)
- Painful ejaculation and erectile dysfunction (ED)
- Blood in semen or pee
- Pain in your low back, hip or chest
Kit Roberts