Know Your Family History

Prostate cancer can run in families, increasing your risk:

• If your father, grandfather, brother, or uncle had it, your chances of developing it are higher.
• Having one close relative with prostate cancer doubles your risk.
• If two or more close relatives were diagnosed before age 60, your risk is even higher.

Now, you don’t have to go into full-blown panic mode, but it’s worth having “the talk” with your older male relatives. Has anyone had prostate issues? Have they ever been tested? These questions might feel awkward, but they could literally save your life.

Early Symptoms

Here’s the tricky thing about prostate cancer: In its early stages, there are often no symptoms at all. Most men don’t feel a thing.
However, when signs do appear, they can be subtle and easily dismissed as “just getting older” or some other unrelated issue. What should you actually look out for?

• Peeing feels different – Maybe it’s harder to start, the flow is weak, or you feel like you didn’t empty your bladder all the way.
• Bathroom trips increase – Especially at night. If you’re waking up multiple times to pee, that’s worth paying attention to.
• Pain that won’t leave – A dull ache in your lower back, hips, or pelvis that lingers.
• Blood in urine or semen – Not super common, but if you see it, don’t just hope it goes away.
• Bedroom troubles – Sometimes prostate issues mess with erections.

Not Every Prostate Problem Means Cancer

Wait, don’t panic, not every weird symptom means cancer. The prostate can act up for other reasons too, and some of them are way more common and not life-threatening.

• Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) – This just means your prostate is getting bigger as you age. It happens to most men and isn’t cancer. But yeah, it can be annoying – more bathroom trips, slow urine flow, that sort of thing.
• Prostatitis – If you’re under 50 and suddenly dealing with pain, swelling, or peeing problems, this might be prostatitis–a prostate infection or inflammation. It can be treated with medication, so don’t stress too much.

Why Early Detection Could Save Your Life

The difference between early and late detection isn’t just about treatment options–it’s literally about life and death. Recent data from Nigerian hospitals paints a sobering picture that every Black man needs to understand.

A comprehensive 5-year study at Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja, revealed alarming patterns that mirror what’s happening across Nigeria:

• Mean age at diagnosis: 70.4 years – significantly older than optimal
• Only 1.2% had localized (early-stage) disease when diagnosed
• 81.9% already had locally advanced disease at first diagnosis
• 16.9% had metastatic (spread) disease at presentation
• Average PSA at diagnosis: 71.9 ng/mL(normal is under 4 ng/mL)

Even more concerning, the study found that after 7 months of hormone therapy treatment:

• Only 40.6% of patients achieved PSA levels below 4 ng/mL
• 59.4% had poor treatment response, suggesting decreased survival prospects
• 28.9% of patients abandoned treatment after diagnosis

Research shows that patients whose PSA drops to ≤4 ng/mL after treatment have survival rates approaching 44-75 months, while those whose PSA remains high have survival rates of only about 13 months.

While the survival chart shows better outcomes for younger patients globally, Nigerian data reveals we’re catching the disease too late. The youngest patient in the Nigerian study was 40 years old—and already had advanced, aggressive cancer.

The Bottom Line: The combination of late detection (average age 70+ years) and poor treatment response (60% failing to achieve target PSA levels) creates a perfect storm. This is why starting PSA screening at 40—not 70—could literally mean the difference between a treatable diagnosis and a terminal one.

The data is clear: early detection doesn’t just improve your chances—it could save your life.

Questions to Ask Your Doctor

Let’s be honest, talking to a doctor can feel overwhelming. Sometimes it’s nerves, sometimes we just don’t know what to ask. Here are some key ones to bring up:

• Has the cancer spread outside of my prostate gland?
• What’s the best treatment for the stage of prostate cancer I have?
• What are the treatment risks and side effects?
• Is my family at risk for prostate cancer? Should we get genetic tests?
• What kind of follow-up care do I need after treatment?
• Should I look out for any signs of complications?

No question is too silly. If you don’t understand something, ask your doctor to break it down.

How to Track Symptoms

Since early prostate cancer often doesn’t cause symptoms, keeping track of small changes in your body is important.

Here’s how to stay on top of things:

• Know what’s normal for you. If something feels off—like changes in how often you pee, difficulty starting, or discomfort, don’t ignore it.
• Keep a symptom log. Noticing frequent nighttime urination? A weaker urine stream? Occasional pain? Write it down. Patterns matter, and your doctor will appreciate the details.
• Listen to your body. Fatigue, unexplained weight loss, or discomfort in your lower back, hips, or pelvis could be signs that something’s up. If they persist, get checked.
• Don’t wait for pain. Prostate cancer doesn’t always cause pain at first, so waiting until something hurts isn’t the best strategy. If you notice gradual changes, even if they seem minor, bring them up at your next check-up.

The goal isn’t to stress over everything but to be aware. Catching symptoms early could mean the difference between a simple treatment and a bigger problem down the line.