What are the symptoms of prostate cancer and how can it be treated?
Number of men dying of illness reaches record high in the UK
The number of men dying from prostate cancer has reached an all time high in the UK, according to newly released figures.
There were 12,031 deaths from the disease in 2017, an increase on the 11,637 deaths the year before.
The rise is likely to be due to more people getting the disease because of an ageing population, even though survival rates have greatly increased over the last decade.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Angela Culhane, chief executive of Prostate Cancer UK, said: “By 2030, prostate cancer is set to be the most commonly diagnosed of all cancers in the UK.
“Before we reach this point, we absolutely must ensure that as many of these men as possible have their prostate cancer caught early and successfully treated, so their lives are not cut short by the disease.”
What is prostate cancer?
The prostate is a gland located between the penis and bladder which produces a fluid that forms part of the body’s semen supply.
The vast majority of prostate cancer cases involve men over the age of 50. Men with a family history of the disease or with an African or African-Caribbean ethnic background are more likely to be affected.
What are the signs?
Most of the noticeable signs of prostate cancer involve changes to toilet habits. According to the NHS, these include:
- needing to urinate more frequently, especially during the night
- “shy” bladder
- having to strain while urinating or producing little urine
- the sensation that the bladder is not fully empty after urinating
Pain in the bones, back or testicles, a loss of appetite and unexplained weight loss can be symptoms of cancer that has spread beyond the prostate
What is a PSA test?
A PSA test is a blood test that measures levels of prostate specific antigen, a protein made in the prostate. An elevated level can be an early indicator of prostate cancer before the appearance of any physical symptoms.
The imperfect reliability of the test - only one in four men with an elevated PSA level have cancer, for instance - mean that screenings are not offered as a matter of course.
However, men over the age of 50 who want to be tested can have this done free of charge on the NHS after discussing the pros and cons with their doctor.
A GP can also perform a digital rectal examination (DRE) to feel for any changes to your prostate gland.
How is prostate cancer treated?
Many forms of prostate cancer are slow-growing and may not require treatment for decades.
In light of the potential serious side-effects of treatment - including incontinence and erectile dysfunction - doctors and patients will often agree to monitor the progression of the cancer until treatment becomes necessary.
If the cancer is in stages one to three, meaning it is confined to the prostate, it can be treated with radiotherapy, hormone therapy or the surgical removal of the prostate gland. Survival rates are high, says Cancer Research - around 95% of patients caught in this stage are alive five years after their diagnosis.
However, this five-year survival figure drops to 30% when it comes to patients diagnosed with prostate cancer which has metastasised to other parts of the body. Cancer which has spread beyond the prostate cannot be cured, although treatment may be able to prolong life.
Almost everyone (roughly 100%) will survive prostate cancer for five years or more after they are diagnosed, if it is caught in stages one or two.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
US economy still strong in final preelection report
Speed Read It grew at a solid 2.8% annual rate from July through September
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
At least 95 dead in Spain flash floods
Speed Read Torrential rainfall caused the country's worst flooding since 1996
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Supreme Court allows purge of Virginia voter rolls
Speed Read Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) is purging some 1,600 people from state voter rolls days before the election
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
A 'transformative' gene therapy for haemophilia B
The Explainer Costly treatment that could be 'truly life-changing' for patients with rare blood disorder gets funding boost
By Julia O'Driscoll, The Week UK Published
-
Covid might be to blame for an uptick in rare cancers
The explainer The virus may be making us more susceptible to certain cancers
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Infected blood scandal: will justice be served?
Today's Big Question Government apologises for 'decades-long moral failure' and promises £10bn compensation but true accountability may take far longer
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Immunotherapy and hay fever
The Explainer Research shows that the treatment could provide significant relief from symptoms for many hay fever sufferers
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
The pros and cons of universal health care
Pros and Cons A medical system that serves everyone comes with its own costs, and they're not only financial
By Rebecca Messina, The Week UK Last updated
-
The alarming rise of cancer in young people
Under the radar Cancer rates are rising, and the cause is not clear
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
US bans final type of asbestos
Speed Read Exposure to asbestos causes about 40,000 deaths in the U.S. each year
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
'Beyond belief': fears of asbestos return
Under the radar Attention is returning to the dangers of the carcinogenic substance
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published