My brother is over the age of 50, making frequent trips to the bathroom during the night? these symptoms may indicate that he has a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate or a cancerous enlargement of the prostate, How to determine , is there any other symptoms?
Most prostate cancers are not symptomatic until they are in later stages, however, when symptoms do develop, they may include frequent trips to the bathroom, increased urinary urgency (meaning the urge comes suddenly and can’t be held very long), erectile difficulties, dribblling after urination, pelvic and/or lower back pain. Some of these symptoms are also the same for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) which is the non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate. The only way to tell for sure is to have a physical exam (A DRE – doctor inserts lubricated finger in rectum to feel the prostate gland for any abnormalities, humiliating, yes, but it is not that bad and can save your life!!!), blood tests for PSA (prostate specific antigen detected in the blood, and when elevated can suggest the presence of prostate cancer), transrectal ultrasound, and/or biopsy if the other tests are suspicious. As an aside, any man over 40 or with any urinary difficulties should begin prostate cancer screening. When caught early, it is highly curable. When caught too late, it is not. Often when younger men get it, it tends to be more aggressive so get checked!!!!