Signs & Symptoms of Prostate Cancer That Has Spread to Bones

According to the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program, prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men in the United States. When prostate cancer is detected, African-American men are more likely diagnosed as advanced and die from the cancer than other ethnic groups. As with any cancer in advanced stages, prostate cancer can spread to other parts of the body.

Detection

• The Mayo Clinic states that for most men, prostate cancer is first detected during a routine screening such as a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test or a digital rectal exam (DRE). One in 6 men will be diagnosed with cancer of the prostate during their lifetime.

Significance

• According to the Prostate Cancer Foundation, prostate cancer cells that spread to the bone are known as prostate cancer bone metastases.

Metastases

• Metastases is first detected as prostate cancer cells spread outward affecting the pelvic bone, the lower spine, and the upper thighs. Many men experience pelvic area pain as a first sign that the cancer might have spread to the bone, according to the Prostate Cancer Foundation.

Symptoms

• Symptoms and signs that prostrate cancer has spread to bones include compression of the spine, continuous bone pain and bone fractures.

Warning

• Since noticeable symptoms in the early stages of prostate cancer are usually not experienced by patients, many cases of prostate cancer aren't detected until the cancer has spread beyond the prostate, according to the Mayo Clinic.