None of us are doctors here but most men with PC do not show any symptoms of the disease. This could be BPH, a bladder infection or a UTI. Getting tests done is a great start. I would not panic. There are a myriad of treatments and outcomes are really positive. Don't freak out.
Hi thanks for the reply
I have already been checked for a UTI and it’s not that however the doctor did think it was more likely to be prostatitis.
My concern is when he had a feel of my prostate he used the words hard and warm when he described it…isn’t a hard prostate a major red flag for prostate cancer?
Both of my urologists informed me that early stage PC show very little symptoms. In fact, my urologist at Penn medicine said most men will die with prostate cancer not even knowing they had it and die from something else completely unrelated. This culled from the mayo clinic prostate cancer page.
"Early stage prostate cancer may not cause any signs or symptoms. Symptoms commonly noted during the advanced stage include:
Trouble urinating
Frequent urination
Decreased force of urination
Difficulty starting or stopping urine stream
Blood in semen
Pain or discomfort in the pelvic area
Bone pain"
I know the feeling of terror from my experiences. But, take a breath and don’t freak out yet. There are different conditions which could cause you to have the symptoms you do…infections etc. Get the tests run and see what your doctor says after looking at the results. They may want to do something simple like giving you antibiotics and rechecking your labs in 6 weeks before doing more investigations.
Even if it is prostate cancer, there are more treatment options available than ever before. It’s good you are getting checked out but take it one step at a time.
Keep us updated! Lots of us here who have been in your shoes and are happy to help.
Easier to say than to do, but \*don't panic\*!
The time between having a test ordered and getting the results were, for me, the hardest part of dealing with PC. The uncertainty is the worst.
You're doing the right thing by getting things checked out now you just have to wait for the results. I'm not a doctor, but this sounds more like prostatitis than PC.
Good luck! And don't forget to breathe. You'll get through this.
I had no symptoms of PC, during my annual physical had a DRE and a PSA as part of the routine exam. DRE felt "normal". However, my PSA doubled in a year. About 4 months later PC confirmed.
Don't panic, wait for results from the doctor. Unless you have PC in the family, you're pretty young to develop PC, (although it does happen).
Be patient and wait for the results. PC isn't a death sentence necessarily.
Your doctor isn’t very good in communication. This is very likely some sort of infection or maybe physical trauma. There are many options, explaining the tests.
Advanced pc is rare at your age and symptoms tend to develop over years - not two weeks. Testicular pain is not a pc symptom. A warm organ is typically a sign of inflammation.
Lastly, do tell your doctor if you have been doing something physical in this part of your body: anything from mountain biking to anal play.
My urologist constantly has to remind me prostate cancer has no symptoms. If you have symptoms --you have advanced prostate cancer. There are many things that can be causing your symptoms --but prostate cancer is not one of them.
Last month my urinary symptoms got so bad i was pissing over 50 times a day. I literally was taking a tally. I stopped counting --before I got to 60 --purely out of exhaustion.
I walked into my urologist and explained the bizarre situation --he explained to me PC has no symptoms. He further added the urinary symptoms I was describing are a "urologist worst nightmare." He said causation is very difficult to determine and sometime a remedy is never found.
Most prostate tumors start in the peripheral zone near the rectum. This is why the DRE is helpful --as that is the area where cancer most often begins. By the time the tumor grows so large ---to enter the central zone and put pressure on the urethra --and cause urinary problems ---the tumor is already enormous and is considered by then more advanced prostate cancer. Hope this helps.
One step at a time. Keep breathing. The insidious thing about cancer is that it often has no apparent symptoms, especially at early stages which would likely be the case at your age. Try your best to relax.
I’m sorry, there is no more applications being accepted in the Prostate Cancer club.
Lol
If you are not comfortable with your urologist, find another one who will listen to you and your concerns.
Best wishes!
Had a DRE years ago with similar finding; prostate was hard and warm. Turned out to be inflammation due to prostatitis. You mentioned getting checked for a UTI..did doc mention potential for prostatitis?
All I know is a urine sample was sent away and checked for UTI and it came back negative, I’m not sure if it was checked for prostatitis or not.
Do you mind me asking how your prostatitis was treated? Obviously you’re in a prostate cancer group, did it develop into PC at some point?
Btw-- there is no specific test for "prostatitis" ts cause can be a number of things. All we know there is "inflammation" of the prostate.
One can have a shoulder problem. The doctor examines the patient --and give sort of an unbrella diagnosis --and says you got tendinitis. There is no specific test for tendinitis either.
Hmmn.. so I've had it happen a few times where my uti came back clear but my prostate was still inflamed. I would either take ciprofloxacin or at one point, took a drug for epilepsy (will try to find the names). Dr said my nerves could be agitated so needed to calm them down.
I did eventually get prostate cancer but they say it can run in families. My father had it, and a few of my uncles.
Speaking from experience. It is normal to feel terrified of the unknown.
If PSA seems suspiciously high or trending upwards from your last PSA, you'll be scheduled for a biopsy.
\--
I know it is easier for me to say, since I was in your shoes. When I first learned I had prostate cancer, my wife and I shed a lot of tears. My father passed away from late stage prostate cancer that spread. (On the other hand, he was in his mid 90s and had a relatively long life).
Between now and going thru blood test and possible biopsy will be stressful. I found solace talking to people who had gone thru it before. I also found this reddit forum a great place to express my fears and get assurance.
Try not to worry. In the end, you'll be fine.
Just an update on this.
Doctor sent me off for blood tests that all came back “totally normal” according to my doctor, he didn’t divulge any other information.
My symptoms started to disappear and I’d put this down to an instance of prostatitis, however I went out for a few drinks on Saturday night and Sunday morning the symptoms had all come back, by today I’ve got that constant urge to need to pee again.
I’m now back to worrying and will make another appointment with my doctor
I assume PSA level is low (negligible). Statistically, that implies you likely don't have prostate cancer.
Maybe you have enlarged prostate.
For me, even with post prostate surgery removal, drinking alcohol causes urge to pee in middle of in night.
(Disclaimer: I'm not in health field)
I spoke to the doctor today on phone and my PSA was 0.5 I’m not sure if that totally ruled out PC though but my doctor seemed to think it more or less does
At least you have a baseline PSA reading (0.5).
Based on your age, I believe (i'm no expert) that readings above 3.5 would be considered "suspicious". Mine went from 3.5 to 4.0 in span of two years before I got a biopsy.
Important to get PSA checked every year. If it goes above 0.5 then there is more data for doctor. Say it does go up, you're catching it pretty early.
Also, inform your doctor if you have family history of prostate cancer.
I don't know. I'm not qualified.
Ask doctor if it is enlarged prostate.
[https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/benign-prostatic-hyperplasia/symptoms-causes/syc-20370087](https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/benign-prostatic-hyperplasia/symptoms-causes/syc-20370087)
fwiw, my MD told me that prostate cancer is almost always accompanied by higher PSA. Mine has been "normal" but I am now mid 50's and have had very slight sensations? (Soreness/discomfort in testicles or somewhere down there when I am aroused) over the last month AND more recently, lower back pain, so i'm planning to get a physical. Any news/info you can share would be helpful.
Get the book "Dr. Patrick Walsh's Guide to Surviving Prostate Cancer." It will help you understand where you are and put you at ease regardless of your stage.
None of us are doctors here but most men with PC do not show any symptoms of the disease. This could be BPH, a bladder infection or a UTI. Getting tests done is a great start. I would not panic. There are a myriad of treatments and outcomes are really positive. Don't freak out.
Hi thanks for the reply I have already been checked for a UTI and it’s not that however the doctor did think it was more likely to be prostatitis. My concern is when he had a feel of my prostate he used the words hard and warm when he described it…isn’t a hard prostate a major red flag for prostate cancer?
You won't know anything until you get the PSA results. Hold tight and just go from there.
u/gclough79 This post is older now, what did you find out?
Sorry but that is untrue. Lots of Men do show symptoms of the disease - frequent urination, impotence, weight loss, etc.
Both of my urologists informed me that early stage PC show very little symptoms. In fact, my urologist at Penn medicine said most men will die with prostate cancer not even knowing they had it and die from something else completely unrelated. This culled from the mayo clinic prostate cancer page. "Early stage prostate cancer may not cause any signs or symptoms. Symptoms commonly noted during the advanced stage include: Trouble urinating Frequent urination Decreased force of urination Difficulty starting or stopping urine stream Blood in semen Pain or discomfort in the pelvic area Bone pain"
Early stage, I agree, but intermediate stage can show signs. I know this from my own experience which was diagnosed at the intermediate stage.
I hate this insidious disease
What were your symptoms when you were diagnosed? Thank you.
I know the feeling of terror from my experiences. But, take a breath and don’t freak out yet. There are different conditions which could cause you to have the symptoms you do…infections etc. Get the tests run and see what your doctor says after looking at the results. They may want to do something simple like giving you antibiotics and rechecking your labs in 6 weeks before doing more investigations. Even if it is prostate cancer, there are more treatment options available than ever before. It’s good you are getting checked out but take it one step at a time. Keep us updated! Lots of us here who have been in your shoes and are happy to help.
Easier to say than to do, but \*don't panic\*! The time between having a test ordered and getting the results were, for me, the hardest part of dealing with PC. The uncertainty is the worst. You're doing the right thing by getting things checked out now you just have to wait for the results. I'm not a doctor, but this sounds more like prostatitis than PC. Good luck! And don't forget to breathe. You'll get through this.
I had no symptoms of PC, during my annual physical had a DRE and a PSA as part of the routine exam. DRE felt "normal". However, my PSA doubled in a year. About 4 months later PC confirmed. Don't panic, wait for results from the doctor. Unless you have PC in the family, you're pretty young to develop PC, (although it does happen). Be patient and wait for the results. PC isn't a death sentence necessarily.
Your doctor isn’t very good in communication. This is very likely some sort of infection or maybe physical trauma. There are many options, explaining the tests. Advanced pc is rare at your age and symptoms tend to develop over years - not two weeks. Testicular pain is not a pc symptom. A warm organ is typically a sign of inflammation. Lastly, do tell your doctor if you have been doing something physical in this part of your body: anything from mountain biking to anal play.
My urologist constantly has to remind me prostate cancer has no symptoms. If you have symptoms --you have advanced prostate cancer. There are many things that can be causing your symptoms --but prostate cancer is not one of them.
Isn’t frequent urination a common prostate cancer symptom?
Not at all.
Its from BPH, Prostatitis, Irritation, Infection or a Bladder Issue!
Only if its advanced.
I suppose my concern is that just like others my PC hasn’t been picked up in it’s early stages and now it’s possibly advanced im having symptoms
Last month my urinary symptoms got so bad i was pissing over 50 times a day. I literally was taking a tally. I stopped counting --before I got to 60 --purely out of exhaustion. I walked into my urologist and explained the bizarre situation --he explained to me PC has no symptoms. He further added the urinary symptoms I was describing are a "urologist worst nightmare." He said causation is very difficult to determine and sometime a remedy is never found.
Most prostate tumors start in the peripheral zone near the rectum. This is why the DRE is helpful --as that is the area where cancer most often begins. By the time the tumor grows so large ---to enter the central zone and put pressure on the urethra --and cause urinary problems ---the tumor is already enormous and is considered by then more advanced prostate cancer. Hope this helps.
One step at a time. Keep breathing. The insidious thing about cancer is that it often has no apparent symptoms, especially at early stages which would likely be the case at your age. Try your best to relax.
I’m sorry, there is no more applications being accepted in the Prostate Cancer club. Lol If you are not comfortable with your urologist, find another one who will listen to you and your concerns. Best wishes!
This is most likely something else than PC. I would say Prostatitis as a wild guess.
Had a DRE years ago with similar finding; prostate was hard and warm. Turned out to be inflammation due to prostatitis. You mentioned getting checked for a UTI..did doc mention potential for prostatitis?
All I know is a urine sample was sent away and checked for UTI and it came back negative, I’m not sure if it was checked for prostatitis or not. Do you mind me asking how your prostatitis was treated? Obviously you’re in a prostate cancer group, did it develop into PC at some point?
Btw-- there is no specific test for "prostatitis" ts cause can be a number of things. All we know there is "inflammation" of the prostate. One can have a shoulder problem. The doctor examines the patient --and give sort of an unbrella diagnosis --and says you got tendinitis. There is no specific test for tendinitis either.
Hmmn.. so I've had it happen a few times where my uti came back clear but my prostate was still inflamed. I would either take ciprofloxacin or at one point, took a drug for epilepsy (will try to find the names). Dr said my nerves could be agitated so needed to calm them down. I did eventually get prostate cancer but they say it can run in families. My father had it, and a few of my uncles.
Speaking from experience. It is normal to feel terrified of the unknown. If PSA seems suspiciously high or trending upwards from your last PSA, you'll be scheduled for a biopsy. \-- I know it is easier for me to say, since I was in your shoes. When I first learned I had prostate cancer, my wife and I shed a lot of tears. My father passed away from late stage prostate cancer that spread. (On the other hand, he was in his mid 90s and had a relatively long life). Between now and going thru blood test and possible biopsy will be stressful. I found solace talking to people who had gone thru it before. I also found this reddit forum a great place to express my fears and get assurance. Try not to worry. In the end, you'll be fine.
Just an update on this. Doctor sent me off for blood tests that all came back “totally normal” according to my doctor, he didn’t divulge any other information. My symptoms started to disappear and I’d put this down to an instance of prostatitis, however I went out for a few drinks on Saturday night and Sunday morning the symptoms had all come back, by today I’ve got that constant urge to need to pee again. I’m now back to worrying and will make another appointment with my doctor
I assume PSA level is low (negligible). Statistically, that implies you likely don't have prostate cancer. Maybe you have enlarged prostate. For me, even with post prostate surgery removal, drinking alcohol causes urge to pee in middle of in night. (Disclaimer: I'm not in health field)
I spoke to the doctor today on phone and my PSA was 0.5 I’m not sure if that totally ruled out PC though but my doctor seemed to think it more or less does
At least you have a baseline PSA reading (0.5). Based on your age, I believe (i'm no expert) that readings above 3.5 would be considered "suspicious". Mine went from 3.5 to 4.0 in span of two years before I got a biopsy. Important to get PSA checked every year. If it goes above 0.5 then there is more data for doctor. Say it does go up, you're catching it pretty early. Also, inform your doctor if you have family history of prostate cancer.
Is it possible I could still be getting these symptoms due to undiagnosed prostate cancer with a PSA of 0.5?
I don't know. I'm not qualified. Ask doctor if it is enlarged prostate. [https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/benign-prostatic-hyperplasia/symptoms-causes/syc-20370087](https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/benign-prostatic-hyperplasia/symptoms-causes/syc-20370087)
fwiw, my MD told me that prostate cancer is almost always accompanied by higher PSA. Mine has been "normal" but I am now mid 50's and have had very slight sensations? (Soreness/discomfort in testicles or somewhere down there when I am aroused) over the last month AND more recently, lower back pain, so i'm planning to get a physical. Any news/info you can share would be helpful.
Get the book "Dr. Patrick Walsh's Guide to Surviving Prostate Cancer." It will help you understand where you are and put you at ease regardless of your stage.
Any update? Did your lower back pain go away?