What you need to know about prostate cancer

What is the prostate and where is it found?

The prostate is a small gland found below the bladder. Most people with a prostate are men, but some trans women, non-binary and intersex people may also have a prostate. The prostate surrounds the urethra and is about the size of a walnut – however, as you age, it can grow bigger.

Men aged over 50 are at higher risk of developing prostate cancer, particularly if they have a family history of the condition. Black men are also at a higher risk.

Keeping active, maintaining a healthy weight, and eating a balanced diet can support overall health, although there is limited evidence on their direct impact on prostate cancer risk.

Prostate cancer happens when there is an uncontrolled growth of cells within the prostate. Some forms of prostate cancer grow very slowly, and these may not cause many, or even any, problems. However, some forms can spread to other parts of the body.

What are the signs of prostate cancer?

The main symptoms associated with prostate cancer can be similar to other prostate problems such as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), where the prostate is enlarged but is not cancerous, as well as other medical conditions such as diabetes or urinary infections.

These symptoms usually relate to urinary symptoms such as needing to pass urine more often, feeling like you have to strain to pass urine, or that it takes time for urine to start flowing, or the flow is weaker than usual.

Some men might feel they need to rush to the bathroom to pass urine and some might feel they are unable to empty their bladder fully. Rarely you may experience blood in the urine or semen or pain on passing water.

However, prostate cancer often has no symptoms in the early stages. See a GP if you have urinary symptoms such as difficulty starting to pee, a weak flow, needing to pee urgently or more often, blood in your urine or semen, pain when passing urine, or symptoms that are new, changing, getting worse or do not feel normal for you. You should also speak to a GP if you are worried about your risk of prostate cancer, even if you do not have symptoms.

You can find more information about the signs of prostate cancer at the charity website: https://prostatecanceruk.org

How is prostate cancer treated?

Treatment depends on the type, stage and grade of the prostate cancer, your overall health, and specialist advice. Options may include active surveillance or monitoring, hormone therapy, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or surgery to remove the prostate.

Monitoring the prostate can be done via the Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test. Specialist teams may use PSA blood tests as part of monitoring, alongside clinical review and other investigations where needed. A PSA test measures the level of prostate specific antigen in the blood. A raised PSA can happen for several reasons and does not mean someone definitely has prostate cancer, so results need to be discussed with a GP or specialist.

If you have been diagnosed with prostate cancer or any other form of cancer, you are not alone; your GP can offer support and your hospital will have specialist nurses to talk to.

Charities like Prostate Cancer UK and Macmillan will support you and your family through your treatment.