Prostate cancer symptoms: Achy bones may be a tell-tale sign tumour has spread

Bill Turnbull shares message with Prostate Cancer UK

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When the cancerous tumour is large enough in the prostate gland, it will begin to push against the urethra – the tube that carries urine from the bladder out of the tip of the penis. This is when early warning signs appear. Macmillan Cancer Support stated a person with a growing tumour in the prostate might experience difficulty urinating. This can include having a weak urinary flow, or having to strain in order to start urination.

Another telling symptom is if you keep waking up during the night to pass urine.

Even though frequent trips to the toilet have become part of the everyday normal, you may feel as though your bladder is never fully emptied.

There may also be a sense of urgency when you need to urinate, and there might be blood in urine or semen.

Sometimes, for some people, there might be a feeling of pain during urination or ejaculation.

These symptoms might be indicative of an enlarged prostate gland, which is fairly common in older age and isn’t cancerous.

However, you’ll only be able to find out if it’s cancer or a benign enlarged prostate gland causing the problems if you go to see your GP.

Left unattended to, and just dealt with by yourself, the cancer might be given the freedom to spread to the bones.

If this happens, the first sign tends to be a persistent ache in the bones.

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You can tell this apart from the pain caused by arthritis, which might come and go, and is usually worse in the mornings.

Prostate cancer that has spread to the bones typically causes consistent pain in the hips or back.

This pain gradually becomes worse as time goes on, and painkillers are usually needed to treat the symptom.

With time, the cancer can weaken bones, which may cause difficulty with getting around.

Weakened bones are more prone to breaks and fractures too, so the cancer can cause additional difficulties.

If the bones in the spine have cancer, the tumour can then spread to the spinal cord.

This usually affects the legs, causing pain, weakness, numbness or tingling in that area.

Prostate cancer can sometimes spread from the bone into the bone marrow, where red blood cells are made.

If the bone marrow is overtaken by cancer cells, and little room is left to make red blood cells, then signs of anaemia might appear.

Signs of anaemia include fatigue, breathlessness, and looking very pale in colour.

People have a better outcome of surviving cancer if the disease is diagnosed in the earlier stages.

This is why it’s important to make time to see a GP if you have concerning symptoms.

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