Know your prostate: a quick guide - Prostate Cancer Charity

What is the prostate gland?Only men have a prostate gland. In young men,the gland is usually the shape and size of awalnut and it increases slowly in size with age.It lies underneath the bladder and surroundsthe tube (urethra) that men pass urine andsemen through.The gland’s main job is to makemost of the fluid that carries sperm (semen).bladderpenisprostateurethratesticleWhat changes should I look out for?Some men with prostate cancer mayhave no symptoms at all. But if you haveany problems with your waterworks, itmight be a sign of a prostate problem.The main types of prostate problem are:• a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostatecalled Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) –this is the most common prostate problem• inflammation or infection of the prostate(prostatitis)• prostate cancerEach of these prostate problems can causesimilar symptoms. These may include:• A weak or reduced urine flow• Needing to urinate more often, especiallyat night• A feeling that your bladder has notemptied properly• Difficulty starting to pass urine• Dribbling urine• Needing to rush to the toilet – you mayoccasionally leak urine before you get thereLess common symptoms include:• Pain when passing urine• Pain when ejaculating• Pain in the testiclesIf you have any of these symptoms, youshould visit your GP to find out what is causingthe problem.What is BPH?BPH is a very commonnon – cancerouscondition that affectsmany men from theage of about 50. Theprostate gland getsbigger as you getolder and sometimespresses on the tubeyou pass urine through (urethra). This cancause problems with passing urine.What is prostatitis?Prostatitis can affectmen of any age butis more common inmen aged between30 and 50. It can becaused by an infectionor inflammation of theprostate gland. It can cause pain or aching inthe lower back, legs or testicles and sometimesstinging when you pass urine.Prostatecancer is themost commoncancer in menin the UK35,000men arediagnosed withprostate cancerevery year inthe UKOne mandies everyhour of prostatecancer inthe UK

What is prostate cancer?Prostate cancer can develop when cells in theprostate gland start to grow in an uncontrolledway. In most men prostate cancer grows slowlyand may not cause any problems. But someprostate cancers grow quickly and need earlytreatment to stop or delay them from growing.What are the symptoms?Some men with prostate cancer may have nosymptoms at all. However some men may havesome of the symptoms described earlier in thisleaflet. Other symptoms you may get include:• New pain in the lower back, hips or pelvis• Problems getting or keeping an erection• Blood in the urine or semen – but this is rare.You do not need to have allof these symptoms to havea problem. These symptomscan also be caused by otherprostate problems such asBPH, so it is important to seeyour doctor to find out what iscausing your symptoms.Am I at risk of prostate cancer?Only men can get prostate cancer. Thingsthat may affect your risk of getting prostatecancer are:• Age: more than eight out of every ten prostatecancer cases (85%) are diagnosed in men overthe age of 60.• Ethnicity: African Caribbean men are threetimes more likely to develop prostate cancerthan white men.• Family: you are two and a half times morelikely to develop prostate cancer if your fatheror brother has had it.• Diet: no one knows how to prevent prostatecancer, but diet and a healthy lifestyle may beimportant in protecting against the disease.The Prostate Cancer Charity is the UK’sleading charity working with people affected by prostatecancer. We are fighting prostate cancer on every front –through research, support, information and campaigning.We rely on charitable donations to continue this work.If you would like to make a donation, please call uson 020 8222 7666.Where can I get more information?The information in this card comes from our booklet,Know your prostate: a guide to common prostate problems.The Prostate Cancer Charity can give you support and send you freeinformation about prostate cancer and other prostate problems. Callour free and confidential Helpline to speak to a specialist nurse orvisit our website at www.prostate-cancer.org.ukYou can also send a query to the Helpline by using our email contactform. Visit www.prostate-cancer.org.uk andclick on ‘support’ for details of how to contact the Helpline.The Prostate Cancer CharityFirst Floor, Cambridge House,100 Cambridge Grove, London W6 OLEEmail: info@prostate-cancer.org.ukTelephone: 020 8222 7622Fax: 020 8222 7639www.prostate-cancer.org.ukMon – Fri 10am – 4pm, Wed 7pm - 9pm.Calls are free of charge from UK landlines.Mobile phone charges may vary.The Prostate Cancer Charity ScotlandUnit F22-24 Festival Business Centre,150 Brand Street, Glasgow G51 1DHEmail: scotland@prostate-cancer.org.ukTelephone: 0141 314 0050Z-CARD ® PocketMedia® (trade marks used by Z Industries Ltd under licence). Thisproduct is a doubly-folded sheet card. These products and associated machinery andprocesses are subject to UK, European and Worldwide patents granted and pending,copyright, trade marks and other intellectual property rights including European patentnumbers EP 602090. © 2009 Z Industries Ltd. Produced under licence byZ-CARD ® LTD, London Tel +44 (0)207 924 5147 info-uk@zcard.comwww.zcard.com No. 26705/30

© The Prostate Cancer Charity January 2009To be reviewed January 2011A charity registered in England and Wales (1005541)and in Scotland (SC039332)KQU/JAN09