What is prostate cancer?
Table of Contents
- What is prostate cancer?
- how many men get it?
- If I wee a lot at night, should I be worried?
- Are some men more at risk than others
- Who May Benefit From a PSA Test Request One?
- How Many People Have the BRCA Gene Variant?
- I Have a Family History of Breast and Ovarian Cancer, How Do I Know If I Carry the Gene?
- How Does Genetic Testing for BRCA Variants Work
Prostate cancer is cancer that starts in the prostate gland, a small gland that sits just below the bladder and makes part of the fluid that forms semen. It is the biggest cause of cancer in men in the UK, with about 55,300 diagnoses and 12,200 deaths a year. It is the second moast common form of cancer, after breast cancer. In many men, prostate cancer grows slowly, but in some it can grow and spread more quickly.
Related: Prostate cancer screening shoudl not be widely available in UK, expert panel says
how many men get it?
The incidence of prostate cancer has risen by 55% since the early 1990s. That is mainly because of increased awareness, better detection and the ageing population. Cases are due to keep increasing to as many as 85,100 a year by 2038-40.
If I wee a lot at night, should I be worried?
Prostate cancer usually causes no symptoms in the early stages, which helps explain why so many men are diagnosed late. “But people should speak to their doctor if they notice changes to how often or easily they pee, [spot] blood in their pee or [have] difficulty getting or keeping an erection. These can be symptoms of prostate cancer but are frequently enough also signs of other health conditions or getting older,” says Naser Turabi, Cancer Research UK’s director of evidence. “If something has changed or doesn’t feel quite right, speak to your doctor.It probably won’t be cancer. But if it is indeed, spotting it early could make all the difference.”
The signs of advanced prostate cancer are different: unexplained weight loss or tiredness and back or bone pain that does not go away.
Are some men more at risk than others
Who May Benefit From a PSA Test Request One?
No. “Too few men seek a PSA test. This is a major concern. Many men don’t come forward because prostate cancer often has no symptoms in the early stages and some don’t realize they are at higher risk,” says Spink.
“This means we are still diagnosing far too many men when their cancer is already advanced and becomes incurable.”
Poorer and less educated men as well as those from a minority ethnic background are less likely to seek a PSA test and so may be at higher risk.
This could be because of “a lack of understanding about prostate cancer symptoms and the health interventions to address them. But it could be that patients have other priorities than getting symptoms checked, if they are dealing with the pressures of poverty, poor housing and other social determinants of health,” says Hawthorne.
How Many People Have the BRCA Gene Variant?
About 1 in 300 to 400 people have a BRCA gene variant. Those with an Ashkenazi Jewish background have a higher risk – about 1 in 40 may carry the gene. Prostate Cancer UK estimates that up to 30,000 men with BRCA gene variants would be eligible for the 45 to 61 age group recommended for screening by the National Screening Committee.
I Have a Family History of Breast and Ovarian Cancer, How Do I Know If I Carry the Gene?
Speak to your GP in the frist instance, says Turabi. “Most people won’t have faulty BRCA genes, but if you’re worried about this, you can speak to your doctor. Currently we do not advise people get genetic tests without seeing a specialist.”
You may be able to get genetic tests such as BRCA testing on the NHS to check your cancer risk if one of your close relatives has been told they have a faulty gene that increases their risk of cancer, or several people in your family have had certain types of cancer.
On the NHS, men usually qualify for testing if: they have a first-degree relative (parent, sibling, child) with a confirmed BRCA mutation; they have a strong family history of prostate, breast or ovarian cancer; they themselves have been diagnosed with prostate cancer that appears high-risk or aggressive. If you fall outside these criteria, you can still get tested privately.
The NHS also operates a jewish BRCA testing program. However, new registrations for this service closed at the end of October – though they are hopeful of future funding from 2026.