Prostate Cancer Month is almost over but please keep the facts in mind and continue to raise awareness.
In the UK, about 1 in 8 men will get prostate cancer at some point in their lives. Men aged 50 or over with a family history of prostate cancer are more at risk of getting the cancer.
Only men have a prostate gland. The prostate is usually the size and shape of a walnut and grows bigger as you get older.
See the video by Prostate Cancer UK on what prostate cancer is.
Prostate cancer can develop when cells in the prostate start to grow in an uncontrolled way. The disease often grows slowly to start with and may never cause any problems. Some men have prostate cancer that is more likely to spread and treatment is needed to stop it spreading outside the prostate.
Our message is clear: cancer does not discriminate, be aware of the symptoms and check them with a GP for further tests.
Most men with early prostate cancer don’t have any symptoms but the ones to look out for include:
needing to urinate more often than usual, including at night – for example if you often need to go again after two hours
difficulty starting to urinate
straining or taking a long time to finish urinating
a weak flow when you urinate
a feeling that you’re not emptying your bladder fully
needing to rush to the toilet – sometimes leaking before you get there
dribbling urine after you finish
Less common symptoms include:
pain when urinating
pain when ejaculating
blood in your urine or semen*
problems getting or keeping an erection – this isn’t a common symptom of a prostate problem and is more often linked to other health conditions such as diabetes or heart problems.
Blood in your urine or semen can be caused by other health problems. People should talk to their doctor if they see any blood in their urine or semen.
Prostate Cancer UK is doing some amazing work to raise awareness for men across the UK. See their website for more information including videos and podcasts. Continue to raise awareness by word of mouth and via Twitter and Facebook.
*facts on this page have been attained from Prostate Cancer UK