In order to avoid prostate cancer and to get treatment as early as possible it is not enough to watch out for prostate cancer symptoms. One you detect the symptoms, the cancer is already in an advanced stage. Therefore you must visit your doctor at fixed intervals even before you discover any symptoms.

What are the symptoms of prostate cancer? A burning sensation while urinating, blood in the urine, an unknown pain in your hips or back. Another clear symptom could also be a change in urine flow.

Early detection of the cancer is vital. As stated already, it is important to have a screening examination in order to detect the cancer early. If detected early enough the cancer is curable.

The doctor will also put his digit into the rectum to feel any lumps in the prostate. If he finds any abnormalities, the doctor will order an blood test to find out if a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is in the blood. While low amounts of PSA are ok, a high amount of PSA is a strong sign for cancer.

Another less known method is the trans-rectal ultrasound test which gives a detailed picture of the prostate gland. The test takes twenty minutes and is painless.

A biopsy is needed once the above tests indicate the occurrence of cancer. That means that the doctor must take a small sample of the tissue by using a needle. The sample is then checked under a microscope and if the sample is cancerous it is an exact diagnosis. The biopsy itself is a quick and rather painless method to diagnose prostate cancer.

If the cancer has spread to other parts of the body can be checked by x-ray, computer tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. It would be a bad sign if the cancer has reached the lungs already.

Once prostate cancer is diagnosed the treatment must start immediately. There are several different treatment options but still the surgery is the most effective way to totally remove the cancer. The treatment will need a team of doctors, an urologist, a surgeon and an oncologist. The surgery is not without risks and side effects so that some prefer alternative ways.

A good prognosis with a high survival rate of 95% can be given when the prostate cancer was detected very early and the surgery was successful. However, the later the cancer was diagnosed, the worse the statistics get. Less than 30% survive the next five years after the cancer was detected very late.