Benign prostate enlargement is often a natural process in older men. It is a noncancerous condition. Prostate cancer is a major cancer that affects men. Most of the time, there are no early warning signs or symptoms of prostate cancer. The symptoms of prostate cancer are caused by the enlargement of the prostate gland. The signs and symptoms of prostate cancer are quite similar to signs and symptoms of benign prostate enlargement.
 

These signs and symptoms are confirmed with certain prostate cancer markers to diagnose prostate cancer. Inability to control the urge of urination is one of the early symptoms of prostate cancer. Another common early symptom is difficulty in passing urine — straining and stopping. Passing blood in urine is among other signs and symptoms of prostate cancer. Weight loss in elderly men is also considered an early sign of prostate cancer. It is difficult to diagnose this cancer in early stages as early signs and symptoms of the prostate cancer often go undetected until it invades and affects nearby tissues. Digital rectal examination and routine testing of prostate-specific antigen is crucial to proper diagnosis of prostate cancer. Occasionally, difficulty in penile erection is the only symptom of prostate cancer.
 

Prostate cancer either grows very slowly and stays confined to the prostate gland only, requiring no treatment, or progresses aggressively and invades nearby tissues, demanding emergency treatment. It is easy to manage prostate cancer with proper treatment if detected in early stages. But as this type of cancer causes no signs and symptoms in early stages, most of the time it is diagnosed in later stages. Therefore elderly men should be routinely screened for prostate-specific antigens to diagnose prostate cancer in early stages. Early management of this problem is always advised.
 

According to oncologists, prostate cancer occurs in four stages. The treatment of prostate cancer depends largely on the degree of its malignancy and stage, and the sufferer's age. In the early stages, there is mostly no need of a treatment, except a closer watch over signs and symptoms. Radiation therapy and surgery are the major treatment options for those cancers that show progression. Treatment with drugs that stop male hormone production is also recommended to arrest growth of the gland.