What are the symptoms of prostate cancer in men?

Generally speaking, prostate cancer localised to the gland does not cause any direct symptoms. Age related enlargement of the prostate (benign prostatic enlargement) leads to lower urinary tract symptoms. Prostate cancer generally occurs on the background of the benign enlargement and hence may have similar symptoms. ‘Blood in pee’ can be a rare symptom due to prostate cancer. Once the cancer cells come out of prostate and get deposited elsewhere in the body, they lead to local symptoms which can vary from bone pain to back ache or weakness in lower extremities due to compression on the spinal column, but it may happen only in very late stages.

Inputs by Dr. Ashwin Tamhankar Consultant Uro-oncology and Robotic Surgery at Apollo Hospitals, Navi Mumbai.