Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men
Prostate cancer can often be cured if it is caught early enough. Sometimes early prostate cancer has no symptoms, so it is important to be aware of your risk.
You are more likely to get prostate cancer if:
- *You are aged over 50 -*– your risk increases as you get older.
- You are Black and aged 45 or over – your risk increases as you get older.
- Your father or brother has had it – especially if they were under 60 when diagnosed.
- Your mother or sister has had breast or ovarian cancer.
You can find out more about your risk via Prostate Cancer UK’s 30 second online risk checker.
If you have any symptoms that you are worried about call your GP and make an appointment or see the clinic information below.
What is the prostate?
The prostate is a gland the size and shape of a walnut, which grows bigger as you get older. It sits under the bladder and surrounds the tube that carries urine (wee) out of the body. The prostate’s main job is to help make semen – the fluid that carries sperm.
Normally, the growth of all cells is carefully controlled in the body. As cells grow old and die, new cells take their place.
What is prostate cancer?
Prostate cancer can develop when cells in the prostate start to grow in an uncontrolled way.
Most men with early prostate cancer don’t have any symptoms. Symptoms only happen when the cancer is large enough to press on the tube that carries the wee from the bladder.
What is the test?
It is called a PSA blood test. It measures the amount of Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) in your blood. PSA is a protein produced by normal cells in the prostate but also by prostate cancer cells. It’s normal to have a small amount of PSA in your blood. The amount rises as you get older, as your prostate gets bigger.
A higher PSA level may suggest you have a problem with your prostate. This is not always cancer. A PSA test won’t tell you what the problem is. But it can help your GP decide if they need to refer you to a specialist for further tests.