Signs and Symptoms of Prostate Cancer

Most prostate cancers are found early, through screening, before it has a chance to cause noticeable problems. But not everyone chooses to get prostate cancer screening. And screening may not catch all cancers. Whether you are being screened regularly or not, it's important to be aware of the signs and symptoms of prostate cancer and to check with your health care provider if you notice any of them.

Signs and symptoms of early prostate cancer

Early prostate cancer usually causes no symptoms. While not common, symptoms of early prostate cancer might include:

• Problems urinating, including a slow or weak urinary stream or the need to urinate more often, especially at night
• Blood in the urine or semen

Signs and symptoms of advanced prostate cancer

Advanced prostate cancer means it has grown larger and has possibly spread to other areas. When prostate cancer is advanced, it can cause problems with urination and blood in the urine or semen, as well as other symptoms, including:

• Trouble getting an erection (erectile dysfunction or ED)
• Pain in the hips, back (spine), chest (ribs), or other areas, from cancer that has spread to the bones
• Weakness or numbness in the legs or feet, or even loss of bladder or bowel control, from cancer in the spine pressing on the spinal cord
• Weight loss
• Feeling very tired

If you have symptoms of prostate cancer

Most of these symptoms are more likely to be caused by something other than prostate cancer. For example, trouble urinating is much more often caused by benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a non-cancerous growth of the prostate.

Still, it’s important to tell your health care provider if you have any of these symptoms so that the cause can be found and treated, if needed. Some people might need more tests to check for prostate cancer.