Prostate cancer
What is the prostate gland?
The prostate is part of the male reproductive system.
Only men have a prostate gland. In young men, the gland is usually the shape and size of a walnut and it increases slowly in size with age. It lies just underneath the bladder neck and surrounds the tube (urethra) that men pass urine and semen through.
Symptoms of prostate problems
The prostate gland gets bigger with age and can cause the urethra to narrow, causing problems with passing urine. Regular prostate problems can affect your quality of life and also your general health.
The main types of prostate problems are inflammation of the prostate and prostate cancer. They can each be associated with similar symptoms. These include:
The main types of prostate problems are inflammation of the prostate and prostate cancer. They can each be associated with similar symptoms. These include:
- Needing to urinate more often, especially at night
- Needing to rush to the toilet – you may occasionally leak urine before you get there
- Difficulty starting to pass urine
- Straining or taking a long time to finish urinating
- A weak flow
- A feeling that your bladder has not emptied properly
Less common symptoms include:
- Pain when passing urine
- Pain when ejaculating
- Pain in the testicles
If the cancer is caught at its earliest stages, most men will not experience any symptoms.
If you have any of these symptoms, you should visit your GP to find out what is causing the problem.
