PROSTATE CANCER
What Is Prostate Cancer
The risk of prostate cancer rises with age or in men with a family history of the disease. It’s rare in men under 50 but gets progressively more common later in life, Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer in men. At the age of 50 about 15% of prostates contain islands of cancer: by 80 the figure is nearly 100%. Cancer of the prostate accounts for less than 0.5% deaths in each age group over the age of 60. Prostate cancer is also diet related – a high fat diet may increase your risk - and becoming more common with rising levels of obesity and diabetes in Western countries.
All prostate problems present similar symptoms, particularly difficulty in passing urine, which might mean frequent nightly toilet breaks, poor urine flow and strain or pain when urinating or ejaculating. Other symptoms including lower back pain, pain in the hips or pelvis and erection problems can also be caused by other problems. A less common symptom is blood in the urine but this is unusual
Prostate cancers develop differently in different men, some growing slowly or staying dormant for many years and causing no problems and some growing quickly and needing early detection and treatment. Prostate cancer develops when a single cell in the prostate begins to multiply out of control and forms a tumour. Some cells may break away and travel to other parts of the body, starting new tumours. Prostate cancer is treatable and can be cured in many cases.