How to Check for Prostate Cancer at Home?

The procedure to check the prostate cancer at home rely on the symptoms to a great extent. Keeping an eye on the unusual changes in the body can help an individual to reach close to the cancer diagnosis and its early detection. Below are some of the prostate cancer symptoms that should not be overlooked. 

1. Problems with the pee 
   Problems with urination or peeing is a symptoms of the advanced stage. An individual suffering from prostate cancer can experience a decreased flow of urine. The process of urination can appear troublesome, i.e. painful or a frequent urge to pee.
   Also, one can take a long time to initiate the first stream. This can be accompanied by a weak flow of urine, a burning sensation while urinating, and a feeling of unsatisfactory emptying of the bladder. Further, haematuria or the appearance of blood in the urine, is another potential symptom of prostate cancer. 
2. Problem with the genitalia 
   For the ones wondering how to check prostate cancer at home, changes in sexual behaviour should never be ignored. Prostate cancer can feature pain in the testicles of men. One can even experience difficulty in achieving a proper erection and the inability to maintain it for a longer time. 
   Along with erectile dysfunctions, ejaculatory problems can also exist in prostate cancer patients. The process of ejaculation can be painful, and the volume of ejaculatory fluid can decrease. Just like urine, blood cells in the semen can also be seen. 
3. Symptoms in the lower body 
   Pain in the body's lower extremities, accompanied by other symptoms above, can indicate the advanced stage of prostate cancer. The areas where pain or stiffness can be felt are the hips, thighs, lower back, and pelvic region. 
   The pain can be frequent enough, and the intensity can vary from person to person. Also, distress or pressure can be felt in the rectum. Observing these collective symptoms can be an efficient procedure for checking the prostate at home. 
4. General symptoms
   General symptoms such as loss of appetite, unexplained weight loss, and constant fatigue can be featured in the case of prostate cancer. An individual can even experience swelling on the feet due to fluid buildup. Also, pain in the shoulders and other bones of the body, along with changes in the digestive processes, can be felt when the prostate cancer is metastasised, i.e. spreading to other body parts. 
5. Appearance of Prostate 
   Cancerous cells dwelling in the prostate gland can alter the structure as well. In some cases, swelling or enlargement of the prostate gland can be seen; however, this cannot stand as a strong symptom to check prostate cancer at home. 

Most of the symptoms of prostate cancer become apparent when the disease has moved to an advanced stage. Also, cancer is more likely to spread to other body parts at this stage. To prevent this, it's better to opt for tests or procedures to check prostate health before it's too late. Given below are some of them: 

1. Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) Test 
   PSA is a protein produced by the prostate gland. The function of PSA is to maintain the semen in its liquid state. PSA blood test is utilised to know the levels of this protein in the bloodstream. If the blood test reports show higher than the normal PSA levels in men, it can suggest prostate cancer. 
   This test can be a notable answer for how to check for prostate cancer at home, as there are diagnostic centres or pathology labs that provide home sample collection services for PSA test. 
   However, it is important to know that the PSA levels can also elevate in the blood in other conditions. Thus, it's always better to correlate the results with symptoms and other diagnostic tests. 
2. Free PSA 
   PSA in the blood is found in 2 types. One is bound to the protein, i.e. complexed PSA, and the other is not attached to any molecule, i.e. free PSA. The normal PSA test shows total PSA levels in the blood, including bound and free PSA. However, the free PSA blood test determines the levels of free-flowing PSA in the bloodstream. 
   The levels of free PSA in the blood have great significance in diagnosing prostate cancer. Low levels of free PSA can suggest a higher probability of a person having prostate cancer. 
   Also, this test is considered a better indicator than the total PSA, provided it is correlated with other investigations. Hence, the quest of how to check for prostate cancer at home can again be justified here. 
3. Prostate Health Index (PHI) 
   PHI is another useful parameter for assessing prostate health. This test is found to have the potential to assess even high-grade prostate cancers that can be preferred over biopsy. PHI is based on the calculation of isoforms of PSA found in the blood. 
   Premature PSA or pro-PSA, total PSA and free PSA; all three are included for calculating and taking out the Prostate Health Index. 
4. Digital Rectal Examination (DRE) 
   DRE, or Digital Rectal Examination, is a procedure to check the prostate health that requires a medical practitioner. In this test, the doctor examines the rectum by physical means, i.e. inserting a finger of the gloved hand with an application of lubricant to make it less painful. The doctor looks for abnormalities in the rectum or anus, such as the presence of hard or soft masses, the size of the prostate, if the prostate has swelled, and so on. This analysis is then linked with other advanced tests to arrive at the exact diagnosis. Like PSA, this test alone cannot stand as a definite indicator. 
5. Other procedures 
   Besides prostate cancer tests, other procedures to check the prostate are ultrasound and MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging). 
   Transrectal ultrasound can make a medical practitioner view the image of the prostate gland with the help of sound waves. Whereas, when the doctor is looking for a more detail-oriented scan, MRI is advised to the patient. 
   Further, the more advanced procedure to check for prostate cancer also involves a biopsy. For this test, a thin section of the prostate tissue is extracted to know the cancerous cells' presence. 

It has been deemed that almost all men are at risk of developing prostate cancer in their lifetime. Hence, they are expected to be aware of how to check for prostate cancer at home, keeping an eye on the symptoms and risk factors. Here are some of the risk factors of prostate cancer that can increase the likelihood of this disease:

1. Genetics is the first and foremost risk factor for prostate cancer. If the family medical history features prostate cancer, i.e. an individual's father or brother has or had this disease, then his chances of suffering from the same increase more than two times. Thus, he needs to go for procedures to check the prostate annually. 
2. The second noteworthy risk factor for prostate cancer is age. It is found that older men are at a higher risk as there are rare incidences of young men who have prostate cancer. Also, the major cases of prostate cancer are reported in patients above 65 years of age.
3. Obesity is another risk factor, as men with excess weight were found to develop prostate cancer of severe stage. Also, there have been cases of obese men dying of prostate cancer. Lack of physical activities or a sedentary lifestyle results in the accumulation of extra fat in the body. All this can contribute to the development of prostate cancer to some extent. 

Prostate cancer is one of the slowest-growing cancers, and hence for years, an individual might not show any symptoms. Also, not all men with prostate cancer face the advanced stage; however, there's also no guarantee of one not experiencing it in their whole life. Thus, it's always better to know how to check for prostate cancer at home or about various prostate procedures. 

Besides, it is vital to know that examing for prostate cancer at home is not considered a safe practice, this is because cancer screening is an intricate process based on various medical aspects rather than mere signs or symptoms. Hence, it is advised to seek the help of a medical practitioner as soon as the body features unusual changes and not rely on the self-analysis done at home. 

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