Prostate Cancer Screening

What is prostate cancer?

The prostate is a walnut-sized gland that’s located at the base of the bladder in men.

Prostate cancer develops when cells in the prostate become abnormal and multiply. In the early stages of prostate cancer the lump of cells often grows slowly, but it can become bigger and start to spread.

These tumours need treatment to prevent the cancer from moving beyond the prostate to other parts of the body. If the cancer does become bigger and spread, it may make you feel unwell and unable to live life as you used to.

What are the causes of prostate cancer?

The causes of prostate cancer are largely unknown but 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime.There are certain risk factors that can increase your chances of developing prostate cancer. For example:

• Age: Prostate cancer usually affects people over 50 and the risk increases with age.
• Family history: People whose close family members have had prostate or breast cancer have an increased risk of the illness.
• Ethnicity: Prostate cancer is more common in people of African- Caribbean or African descent, and less common in people from Asia.
• Obesity: People with a high body mass index (BMI) are more vulnerable to prostate cancer.

Despite these risks listed above, people of all ages, backgrounds and sizes can get prostate cancer.

If you notice any concerning symptoms, it’s important to seek medical assessment and advice.

What are the signs and symptoms of prostate cancer? 

In the early stages of prostate cancer, there may be no symptoms at all, but as the tumour grows, it can affect your ability to urinate.

Signs and symptoms to look out for include:

• Finding it hard to start urinating
• A weak stream of urine and dribbling afterwards
• An increased need to urinate
• Getting up at night more often to go to urinate
• An urgent need to urinate
• Incontinence and leakage of urine
• The feeling that you’re not fully emptying your bladder

If the cancer spreads outside the prostate, there may be further symptoms, including:

• Blood in your urine or semen
• Problems getting an erection
• Unexplained weight loss
• Loss of appetite
• Pain in your bones

Many people think these symptoms are part of getting older, but they’re not.

About screening of the prostate

In the early stages of prostate cancer, you might not have any obvious symptoms, so a screen is recommended as a good way of picking up abnormalities.

Sussex Medical Chambers offer prostate screening as part of our men’s health screening programme or as a stand-alone check. Alternatively, your consultant may recommend it if they suspect you have prostate cancer.

What happens during screening?

Your screen involves a few different things. During the physical exam, your consultant will gently insert their finger into your anus so they can check your prostate. This is known as a digital rectum examination (DRE).

They may also carry out a blood test, known as a prostate specific antigen (PSA) test, which involves drawing blood from a vein using a needle and syringe, usually from your arm. If you don’t like having your blood taken, please let us know so we can make you more comfortable. Usually a bladder scan and urine analysis is also required as well as routine height, weight and blood pressure checks.

How to prepare

Like all procedures, there may be some risks and side effects involved. Your consultant will explain these to you and answer any questions you have. They’ll also tell you how to prepare for your screen.

After your Screening

In most cases, you should be able to go home straight after your screen. Once the doctor has all your results, they’ll let you know what happens next. They may refer you for further urology or prostate investigations, such as an MRI scan, which might be followed by a biopsy. Or they may suggest you have another screening in a year’s time if your PSA blood test is normal.

You will be fully guided and supported throughout the whole process.