Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is cancer that starts in the prostate gland. The prostate gland is found at the base of the bladder and is about the size of a walnut.

It is the most common cancer in men in the UK. Some trans women and non-binary people (who are born male) can also get prostate cancer.

What is prostate cancer?

Prostate cancer is cancer of the prostate gland. Cancer is when abnormal cells start to divide and grow in an uncontrolled way. The cells can grow into surrounding tissues or organs, and may spread to other areas of the body.

The prostate gland is part of the male reproductive system.

What is the prostate gland?

The prostate is a gland at the base of the bladder. It is about the size of a walnut but gets bigger as men get older.

The prostate surrounds the first part of the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the penis. This tube is called urethra. The urethra also carries semen, which is the fluid containing sperm.

The prostate gland produces a protein called prostate specific antigen (PSA). A blood test can measure the level of PSA.

Symptoms of prostate cancer

Prostate cancer does not usually cause symptoms in the early stages. Most prostate cancers start in the outer part of the prostate gland. This means that to cause symptoms, the cancer needs to be big enough to press on the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the penis. This is called urethra. Urinary symptoms such as difficulty passing urine are rarely caused by prostate cancer. They are much more likely to be caused by a condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

If prostate cancer has already spread to other parts of the body (advanced or metastatic prostate cancer), it can cause symptoms such as:

• back or bone pain that doesn’t go away with rest
• tiredness
• weight loss for no reason.