Prostate cancer is the biggest killer of men in the UK – but if caught early there’s a good chance it can be stopped.
There are 40,000 new cases of prostate cancer diagnosed each year in the UK.
The disease is very treatable if caught early and charities are now asking people to look out for the signs to stop the disease from advancing.
According to Cancer UK, the disease doesn’t show any symptoms until the growth is big enough to press on the urethra – that tube through which you pee.
When this happens, some people may experience the following:
- Need to urinate more often, especially at night
- Need to run to the bathroom
- Difficulty starting to pee
- weak flow
- Effort and delay to pee
- Feeling that your bladder has not completely emptied
The prostate is a small gland that only men have.
II can be found around the urethra, between the penis and the bladder.
Many men’s prostate enlarges as they age due to two non-cancerous conditions: enlarged prostate and benign prostatic hyperplasia.
In fact, these conditions are more common than prostate cancer – but that doesn’t mean the symptoms should be ignored, the charity said.
If the disease has spread to other parts of the body — which is when it’s known as advanced or metastatic prostate cancer — it can cause a number of other symptoms, including:
- back or bone pain that doesn’t go away with rest
- tiredness
- lose weight for no reason
What causes prostate cancer?
Prostate cancer is very common, but its causes are unknown, says the NHS.
Most cases occur in men age 50 and older, while prostate cancer is more common in men of African or Caribbean descent and less common in Asian men.
One in four black men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime.
A survey by Prostate Cancer UK previously revealed that men over 45 knew less about the deadly disease and more than half of black African and Caribbean men were unaware that their ethnicity increased their risk.
Having a parent or sibling who has had prostate cancer can also increase your risk.
Recent research suggests that obesity increases the risk of prostate cancer, while regular exercise reduces it.
A calcium-rich diet rich in dairy is also considered unfavorable when it comes to risk level, says the NHS.
Eating foods that contain lycopene reduces the risk of developing prostate cancer, says Cancer Research UK.
This includes tomatoes and tomato-based foods, especially when cooked.
To take an online test to reveal your risk of prostate cancer, click here.