More details of PC...

Prostate Cancer is the second most common cause of cancer deaths in men and numbers are rising each year. Men aged 40 onwards are at risk. www.hammersmithresearch.com.

How many?

30,000 men are diagnosed with Prostate Cancer in the UK every year. Prostate Cancer statistics show that 10,000 die from the disease, many not being diagnosed early enough.

Famous Sufferers...

Michael Manley (died 1997), Sir Julian Critchley (died 2000), Denis Law

Who's at risk?

Regular health checks are advised and request for a PSA test should be included. Ask you GP for details and look out for the advertised Awareness Weeks in the press and TV. www.prostate-cancer.co.uk

Have I got PC?

As there are often no signs or indications from self examination, middle aged men should ask their GP for a PSA blood test as part of their regular medical check-ups.

PSA Test

A Prostate Specific Antigen blood test will give the doctor a more positive indication of what, if any, other investigations are required.

PSA Test

www.prostate-cancer.org.uk
This appeal is made to raise awareness of this life treating disease.

Symptoms

Prostate problems can be detected by a number of changes in your lifestyle including:

Difficulty in passing urine
Needing to urinate more often, especially during the night.
Needing to rush to a toilet, so that you may even leak urine sometimes.
Difficulty to start passing urine
A weak and intermittent flow of urine
Pain when passing urine
Pain in the testicles

Apart from these symptoms you may experience

Lower back pain
Problems getting or keeping an erection
A pain in the hips or pelvis

Any one of these symptoms can affect your quality of life and also your general health. It is estimated that more than one million men in the UK have symptoms that could be caused by a prostate problem. Should you therefore experience any of the above, you should visit your GP to find out what is causing the problem.

The earlier a disease is diagnosed, the better chance you have of receiving a satisfactory solution. Remember 10,000 men die each year from PC and many could have received life saving treatment, recovered and returned to a normal life style if the disease had been treated earlier.

PC is the most common cancer in men. It can develop when cells in the prostate gland start to grow in an uncontrolled way. PC mainly affects men in middle age, from 40 onwards and the risk gets higher as one gets older. The risk also increases if a close family member has the disease.

Many men have no symptoms at all, because the cancer is not large enough to cause any of the above problems. Regular medical checkups are recommended and your GP should be consulted immediately you feel there may be a problem.

What does the Doctor do?

If your GP thinks you might have a prostate problem, he will ask about your specific symptoms and then do some tests to find out what is causing them.

Further information is readily available from your surgery or The Prostate Cancer Charity

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