10 Things You Never Knew About Prostate Cancer

3 November 2017

By Owen Sharp, CEO Movember Foundation

The Movember Foundation is the only global charity focused exclusively on men’s health.

When it comes to their health, the majority of men don’t really talk or take action when they feel something isn’t right. Too many of them “tough it out” and keep their problems to themselves. And as a result end up suffering in silence.

This isn’t good news at all, as men’s health is in real crisis. The figures in the UK alone are startling, as on average, men are dying four years younger than women.

The Movember Foundation is the only global charity focused exclusively on men’s health. We are committed to stop men dying too young, and to help them live happier, healthier and longer lives. We raise funds and develop programmes to support men living with, or who have successfully battled, prostate cancer, testicular cancer and mental illness.

Here are 10 things you never knew about prostate cancer.

Only men have a prostate gland. The prostate gland is usually the size and shape of a walnut and grows bigger as you get older. It sits underneath the bladder and surrounds the urethra, which is the tube men urinate and ejaculate through. The main job of the prostate is to help make semen – the fluid that carries sperm.
Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men in the UK.
In the UK, about 1 in 8 men will get prostate cancer at some point in their lives. There are many types of prostate cancer, some of which a man can live with for years, whilst there are other types that can be more aggressive and require urgent treatment.
Not everyone experiences symptoms of prostate cancer. Many times, signs of prostate cancer are first detected by a doctor during a routine check-up. Some men, however, will experience changes in urinary or sexual function that might indicate the presence of prostate cancer.
The difference between early detection and late detection can be life and death. When detected early, prostate cancer survival rates are better than 98%. Find it late, and those survival rates drop below 26%.
When you’re 50, men should have a conversation with their doctor about PSA testing. A PSA test is a simple routine blood test. It’s used to determine the measurement of Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) concentration in the blood, it is the primary method of testing for prostate cancer.
Men who are of African or Caribbean descent are twice as likely to get prostate cancer. Their chances are even greater if they have a brother or father that has been affected by the condition. Due to their heightened risk, they should talk to their doctor at 45 years old.
Over 330,000 men are living with and after prostate cancer in the UK.
Every 45 minutes one man dies from prostate cancer in the UK – that’s more than 11,000 men every year.
The Movember Foundation is the biggest global funder of prostate cancer research.