The 30-second online test that can predict if you’ll get prostate cancer
MEN are urged to use this 30-second online test that can help predict their prostate cancer risk.
Around one in eight men will get prostate cancer in their lifetime, making it the most common form of the disease in men.
More than a quarter (27 per cent) of all cancer cases in men are of the prostate.
The prostate is a small, walnut-sized gland, that men have.
It sits around the urethra - the tube a bloke pees and ejaculates from - between the penis and the bladder.
The main point of the prostate is to produce the fluid which mixes with sperm to create semen - making it pretty vital for reproduction.
But, like all organs in the body, it can be invaded by cancer - when cells in the gland start to grow uncontrollably.
Men with early prostate cancer don't have symptoms.
Therefore, it's important that you know your risk to improve your odds of detecting the disease early.
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Your risk of developing prostate cancer develops with age. Having a family history of prostate cancer and being black also increases the odds of the disease.
Prostate Cancer UK says if you have any of these risk factors or if you have any symptoms, speak to your GP.
The test
The first question in is about your age.
Prostate Cancer UK says the most common age for men to be diagnosed with prostate cancer is between 65 and 69 years.
While if you’re under 50, your risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer is very low, that charity said it is still possible.
You are then asked if your father or brother has ever had the disease - this is to check for any family history of the illness.
Prostate Cancer UK says you are two and a half times more likely to get the disease if your father had it.
The charity said that this is because families have common factors such as their genes.
It states: "If people in your family have prostate cancer or breast cancer, it might increase your own risk of getting prostate cancer. This is because you may have inherited the same faulty genes."
Other questions include further detail about your ethnicity - this is because black men are most at risk of prostate cancer.
In the UK around one in four black men will get prostate cancer during their lifetime.
The charity said it is not clear why the risk is higher for black men.
Depending on your answers you could be prompted to speak to your GP to talk about a PSA blood test.
This is a test that helps detect prostate cancer and measures the level of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in your blood.
It won't detect all prostate cancers and a PSA score greater than 4.0 ng/ml is considered abnormal.
While no one knows how to fully prevent prostate cancer, experts say that a healthy diet might help.
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Prostate Cancer UK says: "Being overweight may increase your risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer that’s aggressive (more likely to spread) or advanced (cancer that has spread outside the prostate).
"Eating healthily and keeping active can help you stay a healthy weight."
What are the five warning signs of prostate cancer?
So you've established your risk of prostate cancer with the handy tool from Prostate Cancer UK - but what are the signs and symptoms of the illness?
- Frequent urination - particularly at night
- Blood in urine or semen
- Sudden erectile dysfunction
- Painful or burning sensation when urinating or ejaculating
- Difficulty stopping or starting urinating
Who has a prostate?
- men
- trans women
- non-binary people who were assigned male at birth
- some intersex people
What is prostate cancer?
The cancer can develop when cells in the prostate start to grow in an uncontrolled way.
Some cancers grow slowly so won't affect how long you live and because of this many men don't need treatment.
Prostate Cancer UK said: "But some prostate cancer grows quickly and is more likely to spread. This is more likely to cause problems and needs treatment to stop it spreading."