Can prostate cancer be discovered before symptoms appear?
Yes, it is not uncommon for prostate cancer to be detected long before symptoms could be expected to develop. The problem is that prostate cancer often takes years to grow. It is uncertain whether early detection of this cancer — before the symptoms become apparent — can help to reduce the number of deaths caused by the disease. However, the tests used to detect prostate cancer early in its development do not tell us enough about how it will develop. Therefore, many doctors are concerned about the problems that may be caused by follow-up tests and procedures required when prostate cancer is detected early.
