Early prostate cancer symptoms can be similar to those caused by prostatitis or urinary tract infections. Advanced prostate cancer often causes problems with your bones, internal organs, or other tissues.

Prostate cancer develops in the walnut-sized gland below your bladder that produces fluid to help transport and nourish sperm. This type of cancer is estimated to affect about 1 in 8 menTrusted Source in the United States in their lifetime.

Common symptoms of prostate cancer include:

  • difficulty urinating
  • frequent urination, especially at night
  • weak urination stream
  • painful urination
  • blood in your urine or semen

When prostate cancer spreads to distant tissues, it often spreads to the lungs, bone, or adrenal glands. It can cause many problems with these tissues that mimic many other health conditions.

Read on to learn more about which conditions can appear like prostate cancer.

Here are some of the conditions that can mimic prostate cancer.

Prostatitis

Prostatitis is inflammation of your prostate. It can be acute if symptoms develop quickly or chronic if it’s long-lasting. It’s sometimes but not always caused by a bacterial infection.

Prostatitis symptoms can include:

  • blood in urine or semen
  • burning or pain during urination
  • pain or pressure near your rectum
  • urinary problems
  • fever
  • sexual problems

Other urinary tract conditions

Prostate cancer commonly causes urinary problems. Many other conditions can also cause similar urinary symptoms. These conditions include:

Other cancers

Some other cancers that affect the tissues in your pelvis may also cause similar symptoms as prostate cancer. These conditions include:

Fewer than 1 in 1,000 prostate cancers are primary prostatic lymphoma.

Lung problems

The spread of cancer to distant tissues is called metastasizing. About 46% of prostate cancers that spread to distant tissues metastasize to the lungs. Lung metastasis may mimic many other conditionsTrusted Source that can affect your lungs, such as:

Liver and related problems

About a quarter of prostate cancers that spread to distant tissues spread to the liver. Many conditions that cause liver problems or problems with nearby organs may mimic liver metastasis. They include:

Conditions that mimic bone metastasis

Advanced prostate cancer often metastasizes to bones. When this happens, it can cause symptoms like:

Many conditions can cause similar conditions, such as:

  • Osteoporosis: Osteoporosis is low bone mineral density that can increase your risk of fracture.
  • Osteomyelitis: Osteomyelitis is a bone infection that can cause pain, swelling, and fever.
  • Rheumatoid arthritis: Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune condition that can cause swelling and pain in your joints.
  • Other forms of arthritis: According to the Arthritis Foundation, there are more than 100 types of arthritis. Many of these types of arthritis may cause joint pain that can mimic bone metastasis.

Gastrointestinal symptoms

In very rare cases, prostate cancer can spread to your gastrointestinal (GI) tract. If this happens, it may mimic other GI conditions, such as:

Brain metastasis

Cancer that spreads to your brain can cause changes to the ways you think or cause problems with your senses or movement, depending on where it develops.

Potential conditions that cause similar conditions include:

Conditions that cause fatigue

Fatigue can be a sign of advanced prostate cancer. Conditions that cause fatigue can potentially mimic advanced prostate cancer.

These conditions may include:

It’s important to seek medical attention if you have symptoms of prostate cancer, such as trouble urinating or seeing blood in your urine.

You should see your doctor right away if you’ve previously been diagnosed with prostate cancer and you develop new symptoms like breathing problems or abdominal pain that can be a sign the cancer has spread to other locations.

Prostate cancer is often found as a result of screening PSA levels with a blood test. If you visit a doctor with symptoms of prostate cancer, they may order this test to measure your PSA levels.

You may also receive a digital rectal exam, where the doctor will use a gloved finger to feel for swelling in your prostate.

Other tests that can help diagnose prostate cancer and rule out other conditions include:

Prostate cancer often causes problems with urination, such as frequent or painful urination. Many other conditions can mimic these symptoms, such as urinary infections, STIs, or BPH.

Advanced prostate cancer often spreads to tissues such as your lungs or liver. Many conditions that affect these tissues may cause similar symptoms as metastatic prostate cancer.