It can be easy to mistake a prostate cancer symptom for symptoms of less critical conditions like enlarged prostate (BPH) or prostatitis. In most cases, a doctor is the first one to detect signs of prostate cancer, usually during a routine exam. That’s the reason why you should see your doctor if you’re experiencing any of these symptoms:

- Difficulty urinating or retaining urine

- Frequent urination, particularly at night

- An intermittent or weak urine flow

- Burning or painful urination

- Blood in urine or semen

- Difficulty in achieving erections or painful ejaculations

- Frequent pain or stiffness in the lower back, hips, or upper thighs

There are other factors that can affect your risk of developing prostate cancer, which 1 out of 6 American men are afflicted with. This makes it the most common type of non-skin cancer for men. These other risk factor include:

Age. As men get older the risk rises sharply. For men under 40, the odds of being diagnosed with prostate cancer are roughly 1 in 10,000. However, for men between 40 – 59, the risk increases to 1 in every 38, and for men between 60 – 69, the risk jumps to 1 in 15.

Family genetics. A man who has had a father or brother with a prostate cancer diagnosis is twice as likely to develop it himself. The risk rises even more if that diagnosis of prostate cancer in family members occurred at an early age (e.g., 55 years old), or if there were 3 or more family members affected.

Race. African-American men have a 60% more likely chance to develop prostate cancer than men of Caucasian origin, with their odds of dying from the cancer being more than twice that of whites. For U.S. men overall, the risk of prostate cancer is 17%. Asian men living in Asian countries have the lowest overall cancer rate (2%), but for those who have moved into Western cultures, their risk has been shown to rise dramatically.

Location. U.S. men living in cities north of 40 degrees latitude (say, north of Columbus or Philadelphia) have the highest risk of dying from prostate cancer than men living elsewhere in the country. That tendency is widely attributed to the lower levels of sunlight available during the wintertime, reducing important Vitamin D levels and increasing cancer risks.

There are additional risk factors that can lead to demonstrating a prostate cancer symptom and the development of aggressive prostate cancer:

- Significant lack of high-fiber vegetables (e.g., broccoli) in the diet

- High calcium consumption

- Lack of exercise

- Excessive height.

Factors and conditions that don’t seem to increase your risks for developing prostate cancer include:

- Obesity, or a high body mass index (BMI)

- An enlarged prostate (or benign prostate hypertrophy)

- Prostatitis

- An overly-active sex life

- Vasectomies

- Medications

- Alcohol

Once author Chuck Viccente discovered his first possible prostate cancer symptom, it worried him so much that he started reading scientific literature and writing articles on prostate enlarged symptoms, prostatitis, BPH, and other important male health issues. Here he gladly shares some of what he has learned.