What is Prostate Cancer?
Prostate cancer occurs when cells in the prostate gland begin to grow and divide in an uncontrolled way, forming a tumour. The prostate is a small gland found only in men, located just below the bladder, and it plays a role in producing semen. Prostate cancer is a common condition in men. It often grows slowly, and many men may not notice symptoms for years. However, some types can be more aggressive.
Symptoms of prostate cancer include:
- Difficulty starting or stopping urination
- Weak flow of urine or taking a long time to urinate
- Needing to urinate more often, especially at night
- Feeling like your bladder hasn’t emptied properly
- Blood in the urine or semen
- Pain or burning when urinating
- Pain in the lower back, hips, or pelvis
Like many cancers, early detection can greatly improve the chances of successful treatment. If you are experiencing any symptoms that are worrying you, it is important that you report this to your GP.
More information about prostate cancer can be found on the Macmillan website.
What are the causes?
Usually, when someone is diagnosed with cancer, the cause is unknown. Contributing factors may include age, family history, environment, lifestyle and hormonal factors.
In some cases, genetic testing can identify a variant (change) in a single gene that causes a person to have an increased risk of developing certain cancers over their lifetime. These gene variants can be passed down through families.
If you have a strong family history of prostate, breast, or ovarian cancer, you may carry an inherited genetic mutation such as BRCA2, which can significantly raise your risk. Men of African-Caribbean heritage are about twice as likely to develop prostate cancer compared to men of other backgrounds.
Is genetic testing for prostate cancer risk genes right for me?
Some people with a personal diagnosis or strong family history of prostate cancer may choose to consider genetic testing to try and identify a cause for their diagnosis or their family history. People from certain ethnic backgrounds, such as those with Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry, also have a higher chance of carrying a variant in a cancer risk gene such as BRCA1 or BRCA2, and may wish to explore genetic testing.
Identifying a variant in a cancer gene can help clarify personal risk of developing certain cancers and inform your risk management options such as extra monitoring.
Genetic testing can provide very useful information, but may not be the right choice for everyone. Speaking to a genetic counsellor can help you explore your personal and family history, understand what testing might mean for you and your family, and help you make a decision that feels right for you.






















