What are the symptoms of prostate cancer and how common is it?

Th death of popular former BBC Breakfast host Bill Turnbull from prostate cancer on 31 August 2022, aged just 66, was a tragic reminder to millions of the importance of being on the lookout for this pernicious disease and its first symptoms.

Turnbull had been diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2017 and took a leave of absence from his radio show in October 2021 to focus on his health. He returned to the show in August 2022 before dying at his home later that month..

A family spokesperson said at the time: “Following a challenging and committed fight against prostate cancer, Bill passed away peacefully at his home in Suffolk surrounded by his family on Wednesday 31 August.

“Bill was diagnosed in 2017 and has had outstanding medical care from the Royal Marsden and Ipswich Hospitals, St Elizabeth Hospice and his GP.”

In a 2018 interview with The Radio Times, Turnbull said he asked his doctor to stop treating him with chemotherapy after eight rounds, saying he “couldn’t bear it any longer”.

“It felt as if the chemo was now taking on a character of its own, like some malevolent gremlin,” he said.

The Classic FM host described living with the disease as “relentlessly boring”.

“You go to bed at night thinking about it, and it’s still there when you wake up,” he said. “It’s there all day, every day – a fact of life you have to get used to. And it’s a massive pain in the backside.”

Duran Duran guitarist Andy Taylor has since revealed that he too is suffering from the condition and, earlier in 2022, musician and TV presenter Jools Holland announced his own diagnosis with prostate cancer following a routine blood test in 2014.

Mr Holland, 64, who has been successfully treated for the disease, said he had no symptoms prior to his diagnosis.

“I had no awareness of prostate cancer, no symptoms that I noticed whatsoever, until I was diagnosed following a routine blood test in 2014,” he said.

“Thankfully I was successfully treated, but if more people were aware of their risk and caught the disease early, then more lives would be saved.

“If I can bring people’s awareness to the facts of prostate cancer then I would certainly stand on top of my piano and shout about it because I think it’s really important.”

Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer among men in the UK, affecting approximately one in eight men during their lifetime.

While the condition is more likely to affect men over the age of 50, it can be diagnosed at a younger age.

From symptoms to treatment, here's everything you need to know about prostate cancer.

What is prostate cancer?

Prostate cancer is a cancer that occurs in the prostate gland, a small gland located at the base of the bladder.

The main function of the prostate gland, a male reproductive organ, is to secrete prostate fluid. Prostate fluid mixes with sperm to create semen.

The prostate gland is about the size of a walnut, but enlarges as men age.

It surrounds the first part of the urethra, the tube that carries urine and semen.

When prostate cancer develops in the prostate gland, this usually occurs in the outer gland cells of the prostate, Cancer Research UK states. These cells are called acinar adenocarcinomas.

Cancer occurs when abnormal cells begin to divide and grow uncontrollably.

According to Cancer Research UK, the majority of cases of prostate cancer grow slowly and do not usually spread to other parts of the body.

When prostate cancer has spread to another part of the body, it becomes known as advanced prostate cancer.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms of prostate cancer may include needing to urinate more frequently; having to rush to the toilet; straining to urinate; feeling as though your bladder has not fully emptied while going to the toilet; and blood in urine or semen, the NHS outlines.

The NHS adds that these symptoms may not necessarily be indicative of prostate cancer.

Older men may experience similar symptoms due to prostate enlargement, which is a non-cancerous condition.

Signs that prostate cancer has spread to other areas of the body may include back, hip or pelvis pain; erectile dysfunction; blood in urine or semen; and unexplained weight loss, Prostate Cancer UK states.

For more information about prostate cancer symptoms, visit the Prostate Cancer UK website here.

What are the causes?

While it is not known what causes prostate cancer, several factors may increase one's risk of developing the condition.

These include being over the age of 50; whether one has a brother or father who developed prostate cancer before turning 60; being overweight; and following an unhealthy diet, the NHS states.

Those of African or African-Caribbean descent may also be at greater risk of being diagnosed with the condition.

How common is it?

Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer among men in the UK, Prostate Cancer UK states.

Around 47,500 men across the UK are diagnosed with prostate cancer on an annual basis.

Approximately 35 per cent of new cases of prostate cancer every year are among men aged 75 and over.

Prostate cancer can affect anyone with a prostate gland, which can include men, transgender and non-binary people.

How can it be treated?

Some diagnosed with prostate cancer will not require any treatment at all, the NHS states.

A person's treatment may depend on whether their prostate cancer is localised in the prostate gland or has spread to other parts of the body.

The NHS explains that a patient with cancer should be cared for by a team of specialists, called a multidisciplinary team.

This team of medical professionals may include oncologists, radiographers and specialist nurses, among others.

The NHS adds that treatment for prostate cancer is undertaken to either cure the disease, or control symptoms so that they do not shorten a patient's life expectancy.

Some older men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer may be advised to carry out “watchful waiting“, which is when they keep a close eye to see whether or not they develop any progressive cancer symptoms.

They may also be told to do “active surveillance”, which involves undergoing tests such as MRI scans and biopsies while avoiding other treatments deemed “unnecessary”.

Other treatments that patients diagnosed with prostate cancer may undergo include radical prostatectomy, which is the surgical removal of the prostate gland; radiotherapy; hormone therapy; and chemotherapy.

If a person's prostate cancer has become too advanced, then it may not be able to be cured.

However, treatments such as radiotherapy, hormone treatment and chemotherapy may slow down its progression.

For more information about prostate cancer treatment options, visit the NHS website here.

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