Every man should be familiar with the symptoms of the three main types of prostate disorders, because early detection is the best defense against advancing and worsening disease. These three conditions - benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), prostatitis, and prostate cancer -  all have similar symptoms, as well as a few different ones, which is one reason why it is important to get routine prostate examinations.

Another reason to get a routine prostate examination is that in the early stages of prostate cancer, the disease typically does not give men any hint that cancer is in the offing. Only a trained medical professional can help you determine whether you have prostate cancer or another prostate condition.
That said, the symptoms that are similar among the three prostate conditions include the following:

• Having to wait for the urinary stream to begin
• Urinary flow that starts and stops
• Weak urinary stream
• Dribbling urine
• Frequent need to urinate
• Incomplete urination (inability to completely empty the bladder)
• Frequent nighttime urination (nocturia)
• Urgent need to urinate
• Urinary tract infections
• Urinary incontinence (leakage)
• Inability to urinate (this is an emergency situation)

Men who have prostatitis may experience pain when ejaculating and/or pain in the genital or pelvic area. In cases when prostate cancer is advanced and has spread (metastasized) beyond the prostate, it can cause other symptoms, depending on where it is. Cancer that has metastasized to the bones, for example, can cause aching bone and fractures, while involvement of the lymph nodes in the pelvis can cause swelling in the legs. Other symptoms associated with more advanced prostate cancer include:

• Unexpected weight loss
• Anemia
• Bloody semen or urine
• Lower back or abdominal pain
• Fatigue

The severity of symptoms of BPH and Prostatitis may initially be determined by the results of the International Prostate Symptoms Test as well as other tests to detect and diagnose both BPH and prostatitis. The nature and extent of the symptoms and severity of the diagnosis will determine the appropriate treatment option(s). With prostate cancer, the Prostate Symptoms Test may be used as part of the screening process in conjunction initially with a DRE (Digital Rectal Exam) and PSA blood test. Protect your prostate health. If you are experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned here, see your healthcare provider as soon as possible for an examination. If any prostate condition is brewing, you want to catch it before it has a chance to move forward.