Prostate cancer is now the most common cancer in males in the UK, with around 30,000 cases diagnosed each year.

Prostate cancer is rare in men under the age of 50 years, but becomes more common as men get older. As many as one-third of men over the age of 50 have some cancerous cells within their prostate, while by the age of 80 nearly all men will have developed a small area of prostate cancer. Most of these cancers grow extremely slowly and, particularly in elderly men, they usually cause few problems or require little treatment. In a small proportion of men, however, prostate cancer grows more quickly and, in some cases, spreads to other parts of the body, particularly the bones.

There are often no symptoms associated with early stage prostate cancer. However, as the disease progresses, the tumour may begin to press on the urethra, and make urination difficult. However, these symptoms are not specific to prostate cancer and are most commonly found in benign (non-cancerous) enlargements of the prostate. Similarly, blood in the semen may occur, although this is also symptomatic of numerous other conditions. If the tumour has spread to the bones, it may cause pain, most commonly in the spine.

Treatment of prostate cancer depends on a number of factors including the stage of the cancer, a patient’s general health, and age.  Treatment options include: 

• Active surveillance – the patient will be regularly monitored by the doctor.
• Surgery – radical (curative) prostatectomy is an operation to remove the entire prostate and seminal vesicles.
• Radiotherapy – either by external beam or by brachytherapy (use of radioactive seeds)
• Cryotherapy – extreme cold is used to destroy the prostate tissue.
• High intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) – high intensity sound waves are used to destroy prostate tissue.
• Hormone therapy – although not a cure, hormone treatment is used to shrink the tumour and reduce side-effects of the disease.
• Chemotherapy – this is used as a second line of defence for patients with advanced stage prostate cancer no longer controlled by hormonal therapy.

While the cause of prostate cancer is unknown, there are some factors that may be associated with an increase in the likelihood of developing the disease. These include: 

• Ethnic group: Afro-Caribbean and Afro-American men are most likely to develop prostate cancer whereas Asian men have the lowest incidence.
• Family history: whether a first-degree relative (father or brother) has been diagnosed with the disease.
• Diet: diets high in animal fat and protein may increase the risk of developing prostate cancer.