Prostate cancer
Prostate cancer happens to men when the cells that make up the prostate gland start growing abnormally to form a tumour.
If the cancer spreads beyond the prostate it may affect other organs. Prostate cancer is sometimes treated with drugs and sometimes needs surgery, depending on the type and extent of the cancer present.
Prostate cancer is a serious disease, but in some cases it is a slow-growing cancer (1). Some men may have prostate cancer but experience no symptoms because it is in the very early stages.
In some cases, particularly in younger men, there may be more symptoms and the cancer may be more aggressive and need active treatment. For others, it can spread to other organs and tissues of the body, particularly the bones.
What is the prostate gland?
The prostate is a small gland in men (about the size of a walnut) and lies just behind and under the bladder. The prostate wraps around the tube (urethra) that carries urine from the bladder to the penis.
When healthy, the prostate adds a special fluid to semen (sperm) and it also produces a protein called prostate specific antigen (PSA), which turns semen into liquid form.
What are the symptoms of prostate cancer?
Early prostate cancer rarely produces any symptoms. And confusingly, the following signs and symptoms that may occur can also be a sign of other prostate problems which have nothing to do with cancer, such as benign enlargement of the prostate or inflammation of the prostate.
Symptoms of prostate cancer can include:
- Needing to urinate more often, especially at night
- Needing to urinate urgently
- Dribbling urine after using the toilet
- Difficulty in beginning to urinate or a weak flow
- A feeling that the bladder has not emptied properly
- Pain on passing urine
- Bone pain
- Problems getting or keeping an erection
- Blood in the urine or semen (this happens rarely)
If you experience any of these symptoms, you should consult your GP to find out what is causing the problem.
Infolinks:
- The Prostate Cancer Charity
- Prostate UK
- Cancer Research UK
- Macmillan Cancer Support
- The NHS Cancer Screening Programmes and CancerBACUP have produced a downloadable booklet called Understanding the PSA Test for men requiring further information
Refs:
- Greater Manchester & Cheshire Cancer Network | Patients with slow-growing prostate cancer | Accessed Oct 2009 | Page last modified Jul 2009 | Page last reviewed May 2008
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