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This Week - P : Prostate Cancer

Main symptoms of prostate cancer Prostate cancer often has no symptoms at first. Prostate cancer usually starts to grow on the outer part of the prostate. This means it does not press on the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the penis (urethra) and cause symptoms, until the cancer has grown or spread.

Alan Hoofring (Illustrator) - Public domain via Wikimedia Commons

If this happens, it can cause changes to the way you pee, such as:

• finding it difficult to start peeing or straining to pee
• having a weak flow of urine
• "stop start" peeing
• needing to pee urgently or often, or both
• feeling like you still need to pee when you've just finished
• peeing during the night

Other symptoms can include:

• erectile dysfunction (being unable to get or keep an erection)
• blood in your urine or blood in your semen
• lower back pain and losing weight without trying to (these may be symptoms of advanced prostate cancer)

See a GP if:

Important

These symptoms do not always mean you have prostate cancer. You can also get these symptoms if you have an enlarged prostate. This is a very common non-cancerous condition caused by the prostate getting larger as you get older.

You might find you get used to some of these symptoms. But it's important to be checked by a GP if your symptoms change, get worse, or do not feel normal.

What happens at your GP appointment

The GP will ask about your health and if you have any health problems. They may ask if anyone in your family has had prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, ovarian cancer or breast cancer. This is because certain genes can increase your risk of getting these types of cancer.

They may then ask to check your prostate gland by doing a rectal examination. This is where a doctor or nurse gently puts 1 finger inside your bottom. They wear gloves and put lubricating gel on their finger first.

You can ask for a male or female doctor or nurse, if one's available. You can have a friend, family member or other member of staff in the room with you if you want.

Prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test

Your GP may suggest you have a PSA blood test. They'll explain the benefits and risks of the test to help you decide.

A PSA test cannot tell you if you have prostate cancer, but it can show if there are any problems affecting your prostate.

If your PSA blood test result is higher than normal, you'll be offered other tests to see if you have prostate cancer, or if you have something less serious such as an enlarged prostate or prostate infection (prostatitis).

PSA test results usually take 1 to 2 weeks.

PSA blood tests are not routinely offered if you do not have symptoms, or if you have not had genetic tests that show you have a faulty version of a gene called BRCA2.

Referral to a specialist

You may get an urgent referral for more tests or to see a specialist in hospital if the GP thinks you have symptoms which could be cancer, or if your PSA blood test result is higher than normal. This does not definitely mean you have cancer.

If you want to find out more about this week's subject you can visit the Original article on the NHS website. If you are worried by any aspect of your health make sure you go and see your doctor or book an appointment at your local clinic.