The 8 red flag signs of prostate cancer… from needing to pee at night to back pain
PROSTATE cancer is one of the biggest killers of men in the UK, with a bloke losing his battle with the disease every 45 minutes.
But despite being the third deadliest form of cancer, it can be beaten if it's caught early.
A recent study found a worrying 60 per cent of British men didn't know what signs and symptoms to look out for when it came to prostate cancer.
With more than 10,000 Brits dying from the disease every year, and one in eight diagnosed in their lifetime, it's vital guys know the facts.
And that's where leading men's health charity, The Movember Foundation come in.
As part of their annual Grow A Mo campaign - urging blokes to sign up and grow a moustache to raise money - the charity is encouraging all men to learn the key signs of prostate and testicular cancer, and raise awareness of mental health problems in a bid to prevent suicide.
Prostate cancer: The 8 signs you need to look out for
- Trouble starting to pee or a very slow flow
- Difficulty emptying your bladder or a feeling that your bladder hasn't emptied properly
- Dribbling after you finish peeing
- Needing to pee more, especially at night
- A sudden need to pee, sometimes leaking before getting to the loo
- Painful or burning urination or ejaculation, blood in the urine or semen
- Difficulty in having an erection
- Pressure or pain in the rectum, lower back, hips, pelvis
Unfortunately, in most cases prostate cancer doesn't have any symptoms until the growth is big enough to put pressure on the urethra.
But simply knowing what the red flag signs are could be enough to save your life.
Prostate cancer that is detected early can give you as much as a 98 per cent chance of survival beyond five years, while those cases detected late only see a survival rate of 26 per cent.
What is it?
The prostate is a small, reproductive gland that only men have, sitting around the urethra between the penis and the bladder.
Its main function is to produce the fluid which mixes with sperm to create semen.
The disease occurs when some of the cells in the prostate reproduce faster than normal, causing a tumour to develop.
Usually, the tumour grows quite slowly to start with and may never cause any problems - but some men have cancer that is more likely to spread.
If left untreated, these cancer cells may move to other parts of the body, particularly the lymph nodes and bones.
The signs and symptoms to watch out for
You'll notice most of the warning signs when you're using the toilet.
Having trouble starting to pee, a very slow flow or trouble emptying your bladder could be a sign something is wrong.
If you are noticing you need to go to the toilet suddenly, more often, feel pain when you pee or see any blood in your urine or semen, you should get checked out by a doctor.
Pain in the rectum, lower back, hips or pelvis could also be an indicator you need to get your prostate checked.
What should you do?
If you notice any of the potential signs of prostate cancer, you should consult your doctor immediately.
Men over 45, those with a family history and black men are at greater risk of the disease, according to the Movember Foundation.