Dear Dr. Motola,

Can erectile dysfunction be a symptom of prostate cancer?

My husband is experiencing a few issues. He has blood in his urine, erectile dysfunction, and the urge to empty his bladder but cannot fully empty it. He is 53 years old and very fit. He is not overweight, exercises regularly, and does not smoke or drink. He recently had a PSA test performed -- the results were normal. He has an appointment with a urologist in September. Could all of these symptoms be related to Prostate Cancer? Is there anything else we should be doing at this time?

Clearly your husband does sound as though he is having a problem that needs to be addressed by a urologist. The symptoms that he is experiencing are not commonly associated with prostate cancer.

The blood in the urine needs to be assessed and may be coming from the bladder, the prostate or the kidneys. Some of his symptoms may be attributable to an enlarged prostate but the bladder must also be evaluated as a source of the symptoms that he is experiencing. Erectile dysfunction becomes fairly common in patients in their mid-50s and this too should be evaluated.

An evaluation with a urologist will help to resolve these issues.