What are the early symptoms of male urethral cancer?

Early symptoms of male urethral cancer may include difficulty urinating, frequent urination and urgency, hematuria, urethral discharge, and local pain.

1. Difficulty urinating

Early-stage urethral cancer may cause urethral stricture or obstruction, which may cause difficulty in urinating and narrow or interrupted urine flow. This condition is related to the gradual growth of the tumor that compresses the urethra. If dysuria continues to worsen, urethroscopy or imaging examinations are recommended to confirm the diagnosis.

2. Frequent urination and urgent urination

Tumor irritation of the urethral mucosa can cause bladder irritation symptoms, and patients may feel frequent urination and difficulty in controlling it. This symptom is easily confused with prostatic hyperplasia or urinary tract infection, and needs to be identified through routine urine examination and urethrography.

3. Hematuria

About half of patients will have gross or microscopic hematuria, which is usually painless. Hematuria may occur intermittently and range in color from pink to bright red. The degree of hematuria is not necessarily directly proportional to the size of the tumor. Small tumors may also cause significant bleeding.

4. Urethral secretions

Some patients may have bloody or purulent discharge from the urethra, especially when they wake up in the morning. This symptom needs to be differentiated from gonococcal urethritis, and the diagnosis can be aided by examination of secretion pathogens and tumor marker detection.

5. Local pain

As the tumor progresses, patients may experience dull or stinging pain in the perineum, penis, or suprapubic area, which may worsen when urinating. The pain is mostly intermittent in the early stage and can develop into persistent pain in the later stage, which often indicates that the tumor has invaded surrounding tissues.

It is recommended that men seek medical examination promptly when they experience the above symptoms. They should pay attention to keeping the perineum clean, avoid holding urine for a long time, quit smoking and limit alcohol consumption, and conduct regular physical examinations of the urinary system. In the diet, the intake of fresh vegetables and fruits can be appropriately increased, and vitamins and antioxidants can be supplemented. However, it should be noted that these measures cannot replace regular medical examinations.