Complications of prostate cancer

Men with metastatic prostate cancer may experience complications such as urinary retention, urinary incontinence, pelvic pain, and hypercalcemia.

Common signs of prostate cancer are frequent urination and urgency. Less common symptoms include blood in the urine or semen and erectile dysfunction.

Complications can occur when prostate cancer cells spread locally or spread to other parts of the body through the blood and lymph system (metastasis).

Pelvic pain

Men with metastatic prostate cancer experience chronic pelvic pain if tumor cells invade the soft tissues of the pelvis.

Urinary retention

Prostate cancer causes urinary retention when the tumor grows so large that it blocks the urethra (the tube that leads from the kidneys to the bladder). Complete blockage of the urethra due to an enlarged prostate is called acute urinary retention, and this condition can become chronic.

Acute urinary retention is often accompanied by severe pain due to the pressure that builds up in the bladder as it fills and becomes distended. If the condition does not improve, urine can back up into the kidneys, leading to infection and kidney damage. Some people are unable to urinate, requiring appropriate medical intervention.

Urinary incontinence

Urinary incontinence is often a side effect of prostate cancer surgery. Sometimes it results from the tumor compressing the spinal cord due to bone metastases.

Men are treated for illness. Illustration: Freepik

Bone metastasis

Bones are a common site of prostate cancer metastasis. Bone metastases can lead to the following conditions:

Pain: The pain associated with bone metastases is sometimes severe, often occurring in the lower back, hips, or ribs.

Fractures : Prostate tumor cells spreading to the bone weaken the bone structure, leading to pathological fractures. Weakened areas of bone can break with very little trauma or simple movement.

Spinal cord compression : Tumors that spread to the spine cause the vertebrae that protect the spine to collapse. This compresses the nerves, causing lower back pain that radiates down the legs, weakness, burning or tingling in the arms and legs, and loss of bowel and bladder control. Spinal cord compression is a dangerous condition that requires treatment to prevent permanent damage.

Hypercalcemia: Prostate cancer can lead to hypercalcemia due to bone breakdown by metastatic tumor and other mechanisms.

Symptoms of hypercalcemia include nausea, vomiting, and confusion. If not treated promptly, the patient may fall into a coma.

In addition to prostate cancer, there are a number of other causes that can lead to urinary retention and incontinence. Men with these symptoms or frequent urination or urgency should see a doctor to rule out cancer.

People with a family history of prostate cancer at a young age or other risk factors should get screened early. People at high risk should not wait for symptoms to appear before getting screened.

Mai Cat (According to Very Well Health )

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