September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. As the second most common cancer among men, it is a chance for the community to learn about prostate cancer and support those battling the disease.
The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2022, there will be about 268,490 new cases and about 34,500 deaths from prostate cancer. It’s important if you have an aging loved one, especially a father or grandfather, to know the symptoms of prostate cancer. If your loved one starts exhibiting those symptoms, you can plan a doctor visit between those regular screenings.
Prostate cancer occurs in the prostate. The prostate is a small walnut-shaped gland in men that produces the seminal fluid that nourishes and transports sperm. If prostate cancer is detected early — when it’s still confined to the prostate gland — it has the best chance of successful treatment.
Prostate Cancer symptoms often don’t occur until it’s advanced so that’s why regular screenings are important. Having an cancer care at home provider bring your parent to his annual exams, and testing is one way to make sure he’ll get that testing before anything develops into a more serious disease.
If any of these symptoms start to appear, and your cancer care at home provider mentions them to you or your parent brings them up, don’t wait for the next annual screening. Bring him in as soon as possible to find out what is the source of his symptoms.
Prostate Cancer Symptoms Include:
Trouble urinating
Your parent may notice an inability to urinate when he feels the need. He may also notice a decreased stream or the need to urinate often because he’s not able to empty his bladder. This can happen especially in the overnight hours. If he needs assistance getting to and from the bathroom, your cancer care at home provider may notice more trips to the bathroom and shorter visits.
Pain while urinating
Not only will it be difficult to urinate, but it might also be painful. Your parent may develop a burning sensation when trying to urinate or ejaculate.
Blood in the urine
If your parent’s urine is tinged with blood, it might appear as a brown or bright red color. This can be frightening to see, and should be checked out immediately by the doctor to determine the cause.
Pain in the groin
If your parent is experiencing pain in the lower groin area, this might be because of a tumor that has developed in his prostate. The prostate gland is located beneath the bladder and in front of the rectum, and the pressure may cause pain in these areas. If cancer has spread beyond the prostate, your elderly parent may also suffer lower body swelling.
Being aware of the symptoms is a good start on detecting the disease early on and getting your elderly parent the help he needs, so he can get the treatment he needs and be on the road to recovery quickly.
If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring Cancer Care at Home in San Francisco, CA, contact the friendly staff at Home Care Professionals today.
Call (866)-940-4855
Source:
https://www.urologyhealth.org/media-center/prostate-cancer-info-center
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