Prostate Cancer: What is prostate cancer, signs and symptoms and how to tell if you are high risk

• Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, affecting one in eight men.
• Those odds shorten to one in four men if you are Black.
• In the UK, more than 50,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year.
• Every year 12,000 men die from prostate cancer in the UK.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer for men, with more than 50,000 being diagnosed every year.

One in eight men will get prostate cancer, with those odds shortening to one in four men if you are Black. Every year in the UK, 12,000 men die from prostate cancer.

To help raise awareness, Prostate Cancer UK will be hosting their flagship walking event, March for Men, at Battersea Park on Saturday, June 14. Last year over 1,800 people Marched for Men, celebrating loved ones and raising more than £300,000 for the leading men’s health charity.

Hollywood actor Colin McFarlane will again spearhead the walk, the 63-year-old, who starred in Batman Begins and The Dark Knight as well as being the voice of ITV hit show, The Cube, was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2022.

Speaking about the event, Mr McFarlane said: “Prostate cancer affects one in eight men, and those stats increase to one in four if you are Black, like me. So my passion for spreading awareness and saving lives remains as strong as ever.

“I want all men to be diagnosed early, like I was, and to better understand their risk of this disease, the most common cancer in men. March for Men is a brilliant way to do this.”

What is prostate cancer?

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK. It is when cancer develops in the prostate, which is a small, walnut-sized gland located in the male reproductive system below the bladder.

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What are the symptoms of prostate cancer?

Prostate cancer often does not cause any symptoms in its early stages, which is why knowing whether or not you are high risk is important so that it is caught before symptoms begin to occur.

Symptoms of prostate cancer according to the NHS include:

• needing to pee more frequently, often during the night
• needing to rush to the toilet
• difficulty in starting to pee (hesitancy)
• straining or taking a long time while peeing
• weak flow
• feeling that your bladder has not emptied fully
• blood in urine or blood in semen

Who is high risk for prostate cancer?

One in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in the UK, however if you are Black that risk raises to one in four.

Men are at higher risk if they are over 50, Black or have a father or brother who has had prostate cancer. If that’s you, Prostate Cancer UK recommends you talk to your GP about a regular PSA blood test which can help detect if something is wrong.

Prostate Cancer UK have also created this helpful online Risk Checker, to help men find out if they are at higher risk of getting prostate cancer and what they can do about it.

You can find out more about Prostate Cancer, signs, symptoms and how to access support at Prostate Cancer UK.