• About Male Cancer »
• Prostate Cancer

ABOUT PROSTATE CANCER

Over 35,000 men in the UK are cases diagnosed with prostate cancer every year in the UK. It is the most common cancer in men over the age of 55 years, and an estimated 1 in 14 men will develop the condition.

WHO IS AT RISK?

There are a number of risk factors for prostate cancer:

• Age
• Prostate cancer mainly affects men over the age of 65. It is rare in men under the age of 40 years, but more than 1,000 men under the age of 55 years are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year in the UK. Up to 40% of these “early-onset” cases of prostate cancer are thought to be caused by inherited forms of the condition.
• Ethnicity
• Afro-Caribbean men have relatively high rates of prostate cancer. The lowest rates are found in Asian men.
• Family history of prostate cancer
• Having a brother or father with prostate cancer increases your risk compared to men with no family history of the disease. If a close member of your family was diagnosed with prostate cancer under the age of 40, you are at a higher risk of developing the condition.
• Family history of breast cancer
• The risk of prostate cancer increases slightly in men who have a strong family history of female breast cancer and vice versa (National Cancer Institute). This is thought to be because two genes carried by both men and women (called BRCA1 and BRCA2) increase the risk of breast cancer in women and prostate cancer in men (Cancer Research UK).
• Diet
• A diet high in saturated fats and red meat may lead to an increased risk of developing cancer including prostate cancer.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?

There is no single symptom to indicate the presence of prostate cancer. Problems with the prostate are common; they may not necessarily be caused by cancer, and may result in slowly developing symptoms that can easily be confused with “getting older”.

Because the prostate gland surrounds the tube known as the urethra, which passes urine from the bladder to the outside of the body, any prostate disease or growth (benign or malignant) is likely to cause problems with urination.

• Common symptoms include the following:
• Slow or weak flow of urine
• Urinating more frequently or urgently than usual
• Difficulty starting to urinate
• Pain or burning sensation when urinating
• Difficulty getting or maintaining an erection or pain during ejaculation
• Constipation, altered bowel habit, or not feeling the bladder is completely empty.

• Less common symptoms include the following:
• Unexplained urinary infection or pain in the groin, back or hips
• Blood in the urine or semen
• Impotence