Key takeaways
- One in eight men will get prostate cancer. If you’re over 50, or you’re black, or have a family history, you’re at even higher risk.
- Prostate cancer is not always life-threatening, but when it is, the earlier you catch it, the more likely it is to be cured
- There is no NHS screening programme for prostate cancer but men who are over 50 or at higher risk can ask their GP for testing
- If you are concerned about any new signs or symptoms, talk to your GP
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men and around 52,000 men are diagnosed every year in the UK. Prostate cancer usually develops slowly over time and is most common in older men, however, it’s important for all men, especially from the age of 50, to be aware of changes that they should talk to their GP about. This guide, developed with Perci Cancer nurse specialist Rachel Rawson, helps you to understand your risk, signs and symptoms to look out for, and the prostate cancer testing process.
‘My wife works in cancer care so I was reasonably well informed about prostate cancer and, at 56, knew I was getting to the age where it becomes a concern. In fact, that was my only risk factor, as I had no family history of the disease.
‘I found I was going to the bathroom in the middle of the night a little more than usual. This went on for around six or eight weeks but coincided with the Christmas period when life was quite disrupted, so I didn’t think much of it. Also, when you wake up in the middle of the night, it’s very hard to think rationally – you just get up and then go back to sleep. It takes a little while to realise there is something to be worried about.
‘I was in a meeting at work when I leaned over the conference table and felt a blunt pain internally. It was unlike anything I’d felt before. That prompted me to book an appointment with my GP, who did a PSA test. The results of this were high and he told me I definitely had prostate cancer. I was referred to see a specialist straight away.
‘From my initial concerns to surgery was under six months. After my prostate was removed we discovered the cancer was very aggressive and was growing fast so it was important that I acted quickly.’
Neil, Perci member
What is your risk of developing prostate cancer?
Prostate cancer mainly affects men over 50, and one in eight men will be affected. The risk is even higher if you are a black man (one in four). It isn’t fully understood why black men are more likely to get prostate cancer than other men, but it is thought to be linked to genes.
If you have a family history of prostate, breast or ovarian cancer, your risk of developing it may be higher. This is because you may have inherited the same faulty genes that can be associated with these cancers.
If you are a trans woman you will still have a prostate, as this is not removed during genital reconstructive surgery. This means that trans women, as well as non-binary people assigned male at birth, can get prostate cancer. Find out more here.
What are the signs and symptoms of prostate cancer?
In the early stages of prostate cancer, there are often no signs and symptoms, and you can’t check for prostate cancer yourself at this time. You can, however, talk to your GP, even if you have no symptoms but are concerned about prostate cancer, your risk factors and testing for prostate cancer.
Symptoms of prostate cancer do not usually appear until the prostate is large enough to affect the tube that carries urine from the bladder out of the penis (the urethra). If there is cancer growing near to and pressing on the urethra, it can change the way you urinate, causing the following symptoms:
- Difficulty starting to urinate or emptying your bladder
- A weak flow when you urinate
- A feeling that your bladder hasn’t emptied properly
- Dribbling urine after you finish urinating
- Needing to urinate more often than usual, especially at night
- A sudden need to urinate – you may sometimes leak urine before you get to the toilet
If prostate cancer breaks out of the prostate or spreads to other parts of the body, it can cause other symptoms, including:
- Back pain, hip pain or pelvic pain
- Problems getting or keeping an erection
- Blood in the urine or semen
- Unexplained weight loss.
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it’s important to talk to your GP.
Noticing changes to the way you urinate is more likely to be a sign of a non cancerous problem called enlarged prostate or other health problems not related to cancer. Prostate Cancer UK has a helpful booklet about this and other common prostate problems. Download it here.
Why isn’t there an NHS screening programme for prostate cancer?
The most common test for men who are worried about prostate cancer is called the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test. This test measures the level of PSA in a man’s blood. However, not all prostates release the same amount of PSA. So a raised PSA level can find prostate cancer at an early stage for some men, but suggest others have prostate cancer when they don’t. The PSA test also can’t tell the difference between aggressive disease that requires treatment and low-risk cancer that doesn’t.
Although testing has been shown to reduce a man’s chance of dying from prostate cancer, it would mean many men receive treatment unnecessarily, with side effects that can affect daily life.
Find out more about NHS screening programmes
Can prostate cancer be prevented?
While it’s not possible to prevent prostate cancer it is important to follow a healthy lifestyle. There is some evidence to suggest that being overweight may increase your risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer that’s aggressive (more likely to spread) or advanced (cancer that has spread outside the prostate). So eating healthily and keeping active can help you maintain a healthy weight and help to reduce your risk.
What should you do if you’re worried about prostate cancer or would like to get tested?
The NHS Prostate Cancer Risk Management Programme (PCRMP) aims to provide reliable information for healthy men over 50 who do not have symptoms, including the pros and cons of PSA testing. You can download it here.
The next step after reading this information is to talk to your GP, who can arrange for a test to be carried out free on the NHS. If results show you have a raised level of PSA, your GP may suggest further tests.
Perci Cancer Nurse Specialists are able to help you understand your risk of developing prostate cancer and answer your questions about screening. Meet our cancer nurse specialists and book an appointment in our virtual clinic.
While we have ensured that every article is medically reviewed and approved, information presented here is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any questions or concerns, please talk to one of our healthcare professionals or your primary healthcare team.
References
‘Prostate cancer symptoms’, Prostate Cancer UK, July 2022, https://prostatecanceruk.org/prostate-information/about-prostate-cancer/prostate-cancer-symptoms
‘Prostate cancer risk management programme: overview’, GOV.uk, March 2016, https://www.gov.uk/guidance/prostate-cancer-risk-management-programme-overview
‘Prostate cancer statistics’, Cancer Research UK, https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/statistics-by-cancer-type/prostate-cancer
‘PSA testing’, NHS, October 2021, https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/prostate-cancer/psa-testing/
‘What causes prostate cancer?’, World Cancer Research Fund, https://www.wcrf.org/diet-activity-and-cancer/cancer-types/prostate-cancer/