Explained Who is at risk and what are the treatments?

Prostate cancer is cancer that starts in the prostate gland, a small gland that sits just below the bladder and makes part of the fluid that forms semen.

- Anna Bawden Denis Campbell

It’s the biggest cause of cancer in men in the UK, with about 55,300 diagnoses and 12,200 deaths a year. It is the second commonest form of cancer, after breast cancer.

How many men get it?

The incidence of prostate cancer has risen by 55% since the early 90s. That’s mainly because of increased awareness, better detection and the ageing population. Cases are expected to keep rising to as many as 85,100 a year by 2038-40.

Are some men more at risk than others?

Yes. Black men are around twice as likely as white men both to develop and die from prostate cancer.

Having close family members with prostate, breast or ovarian cancer, or if you carry the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene variant, also puts you at greater risk of prostate cancer. While rare, men with these BRCA faults are more likely to develop aggressive prostate cancer.

“Many men don’t come forward because prostate cancer often has no symptoms in the early stages, and some don’t realise they are at higher risk,” says Dr Jayne Spink of Prostate Cancer Research. “This means we are still diagnosing far too many men when their cancer is already advanced and becomes incurable.”

If I pee a lot at night, should I be worried?

Prostate cancer usually causes no symptoms in the early stages, which helps explain why so many men are diagnosed late. “People should speak to their doctor if they notice changes to how often or easily they pee, blood in their pee or difficulty getting or keeping an erection. These can be symptoms of prostate cancer but are often also signs of other health conditions or getting older,” explains Naser Turabi, Cancer Research UK’s director of evidence.

Signs of advanced prostate cancer are unexplained weight loss or tiredness and back or bone pain.

My dad had prostate cancer. Does that mean I’m more likely to get it?