A hospital oncologist is urging men to recognise the symptoms of prostate cancer to improve their chances of surviving the most common cancer in men.

More than 50,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in the UK every year, with more than 12,000 dying from the condition. Olympic cyclist Sir Chris Hoy recently confirmed he had been given a terminal diagnosis of prostate cancer.

As part of Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, Dr Mohan Hingorani, Consultant Clinical Oncologist at the Queen’s Centre, Castle Hill Hospital, said early detection is crucial to maximise chances of survival.

He said: “The patients who die with prostate cancer are usually the people who are diagnosed when the disease is at an advanced stage and is then incurable.”

“However, if you detect the cancer at an early stage, you have a far better chance of cure and long-term survival so early detection is key.”

The prostate is a small walnut-shaped gland just below the bladder and in front of the rectum or back passage that produces seminal fluid. Gene changes can cause it to become cancerous, although the exact cause of the change is not yet known.

More than half a million men in the UK are living with or have survived prostate cancer, with one in eight men diagnosed at some stage in their life.

It’s more common in Black men and the detection rate is one in four. Trans women and non-binary assigned males at birth also need to be aware of prostate cancer and its symptoms.

Dr Hingorani said prostate cancer is more common in men over 75 but can still affect younger men at any age.

Patients often do not experience any symptoms in the early stages. However, when the cancer becomes large enough to press on the tube carrying urine from the bladder, symptoms can appear.

These can include:

• needing to urinate more often than usual, especially at night
• difficulty urinating – for example, a weak flow or having to strain to start
• feeling like you have not completely emptied your bladder

Sometimes, a non-cancerous condition known as Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) can mimic the symptoms of prostate cancer so it’s important to have symptoms checked by your doctor.

A PSA blood test is carried out by GPs to check the level of prostate specific antigen (PSA) in your blood and if your levels are abnormal, you’ll be referred for more tests to Urology to confirm diagnosis through examination, MRI scan, and biopsy. Prostate cancers can spread into the bones so a bone scan is often performed to exclude spread into the bones.

Dr Hingorani sees men who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer and can offer a range of treatment options including surgery, hormone therapy, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, depending on where the cancer is or if it has spread.

“It’s important that men realise that even if they have advanced prostate cancer and it has spread, we still have very good options which can help patients live for many years.

“Just because it’s spread, that doesn’t have to mean the end of the world.

“But becoming better informed about prostate cancer and its symptoms is key to helping us help you at the earliest opportunity.”