Movember: Signs & Symptoms Of Prostate Cancer

Cancer / Men's Health

Most men with early prostate cancer don’t have any signs or symptoms. That’s why it’s important to know about your risk. If you do notice changes in the way you urinate, this is more likely to be a sign of a very common non-cancerous problem called an enlarged prostate, or another health problem. But it’s still a good idea to get it checked out. Possible symptoms include:

  • difficulty starting to urinate or emptying your bladder
  • a weak flow when you urinate
  • a feeling that your bladder hasn’t emptied properly
  • dribbling urine after you finish urinating
  • needing to urinate more often than usual, especially at night
  • a sudden need to urinate – you may sometimes leak urine before you get to the toilet.

Men with early prostate cancer will often have no symptoms because of the way the cancer grows. You’ll usually only get early symptoms if the cancer grows near the tube you urinate through (the urethra) and presses against it, changing the way you urinate (wee). But because prostate cancer usually starts to grow in a different part (usually the outer part) of the prostate, early prostate cancer doesn’t often press on the urethra and cause symptoms.

If prostate cancer breaks out of the prostate (locally advanced prostate cancer) or spreads to other parts of the body (advanced prostate cancer), it can cause other symptoms, including:

  • back pain, hip pain or pelvis pain
  • problems getting or keeping an erection
  • blood in the urine or semen
  • unexplained weight loss.

These symptoms can all be caused by other health problems. But it’s still a good idea to tell your GP about any symptoms so they can find out what’s causing them and make sure you get the right treatment, if you need it.

How do you know if you have prostate cancer?

There’s no way of knowing if you have prostate cancer without visiting your doctor, as most men with early prostate cancer don’t have any symptoms. If you do have symptoms they can be caused by other things. And you can’t check for prostate cancer yourself.

There are some things that may mean you're more likely to get prostate cancer. You might hear these described as prostate cancer risk factors. Even if you don't have any of the symptoms that we talk about above, you may want to speak to your GP about prostate cancer if:

  • you are aged 50 or over
  • your father or brother has had prostate cancer
  • you are black

Your GP can give you more information or tests if necessary. If you’re not sure about what to say to your GP, print and fill out this form and show it to them. This will help you have the conversation.

What tests are done to find out if you have prostate cancer?

Tests can find out whether you might have prostate cancer or another prostate problem, such as an enlarged prostate or prostatitis. You might hear these tests called a prostate check up or prostate exam.

What tests are done at the GP surgery?

There is no single test to diagnose prostate cancer. There are a few tests that your GP can do to find out if you have a prostate problem. The main tests include:

  • a urine test to rule out a urine infection
  • a prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test
  • a digital rectal examination (DRE)

Before you have these tests, your GP should explain what they involve and talk you through the advantages and disadvantages of each test. They can help you understand more about prostate cancer and your own risk of getting it. It’s up to you whether you have the tests, so make sure you’ve got all the information you need, and give yourself time to think it through.

After you've had the tests, your GP will talk to you about all your test results and what they might mean. If they think you may have a prostate problem, they will make an appointment for you to see a specialist at the hospital. If they think you could have prostate cancer, you will usually see the specialist within two weeks.

Your GP may also give you a printed summary explaining what will happen when you go to hospital. We have a version for patients in England, as well as Scotland, that can be used as a reminder for yourself or those supporting you. 

What tests are done at the hospital?

At the hospital you will see a specialist, who will usually be a doctor who specialises in the urinary and male reproductive system (urologist) or a specialist nurse. You may have another PSA test or DRE.

The specialist will look at your:

  • PSA level
  • DRE results
  • risk of prostate cancer
  • general health.

They might recommend another PSA test at your GP surgery in the future. Or they might recommend further tests, including:

  • an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan
  • a prostate biopsy
  • a CT (computerised tomography) scan
  • a bone scan - with or without X-rays.

You might also have a urine flow test and an ultrasound scan of your bladder. These are usually done to check for an enlarged prostate.

If you have a very high PSA level (for example, in the hundreds or thousands), you may have prostate cancer that has spread outside the prostate. So you might not need a biopsy. Instead, you may have a scan to show if there is cancer and see how far it has spread.

In some hospitals you might have a special type of MRI scan, called a multi-parametric MRI (mpMRI) scan, before having a biopsy. This can help your doctor see if there is any cancer inside your prostate, and how quickly any cancer is likely to grow. In other hospitals you may have a biopsy first.

If you’re worried about these tests or would like more information, speak to your doctor or nurse. Or you can speak to the Prostate Cancer UK Specialist Nurses.

Cancer Useful Resources

Prostate Cancer UK have a team of trained volunteers throughout the UK who carry out...
Bowel Cancer UK Community — a place for anyone affected by bowel cancer to talk about...
After surgery and treatment for breast cancer, some women feel less confident about their...
Cancer Focus NI is the only local cancer charity to provide a free cancer information and...
LearnZone provides free and easy access to a wide variety of learning resources , online...
Cancer Focus Northern Ireland’s Email Forum – or E Forum – helps us keep up to date with...
Going through cancer can be an isolating experience at any time, and especially when...
A healthy diet and regular physical activity may help you manage the effects of prostate...
We rely on our incredible volunteers to help us spread the word about prostate cancer,...
We know that money is a big and often difficult thing to talk about when you’re living...
There are a number of health campaigns throughout the year to raise awareness of...
Cancer Focus NI’s Art therapy service is for anyone affected by cancer. Art therapy helps...
Bupa is working in partnership with Macmillan to offer up to 6 free one-to-one...
Cancer Focus Northern Ireland’s Email Forum – or E Forum – helps us keep up to date with...
Fatigue support is a telephone programme which includes 4 appointments with a Specialist...
The Sexual support service is a chance for you, or your partner, to talk to one of our...
Welcome to the Caregiver Help & Support group. We're a supportive and safe place for...
‘Engage’ training is a comprehensive one day programme which seeks to address the current...
When someone is diagnosed with cancer, they may experience feelings of shock, anger, or...
When someone is diagnosed with cancer, they may experience feelings of shock, anger, or...
When an adult in the family is diagnosed with cancer it affects the entire family. It can...
There are so many ways to get involved, from cheering on a marathon runner to...
Cancer Focus NI, Keeping Well vans are mobile drop-in units which bring health checks,...
Our nurses are here to help. They can provide you with information, and signpost you to...
Zest for Life is a free 6-week programme led by a Cancer Focus NI facilitator. The course...
When someone is diagnosed with cancer, they may experience feelings of shock, anger, or...
The Macmillan Online Community is a free online place for people who are living with or...
We're always looking for enthusiastic people to help with our work. We have a range of...
Whether you need help defining sparse brows and lashes, caring for nails that are...
Each month we run an online support group for men on active surveillance - a form of...
There are hundreds of prostate cancer support groups in the UK. We have details of many...
Call us for free, unbiased, confidential support and information. There's no such thing...
Someone is diagnosed every 15 minutes. What do you know about bowel cancer? Book a free...
Treatment for cancer may mean you have to make many visits to hospital to see your...
Macmillan Grants are a one-off payment of £350 to help with the extra costs that living...
We have a team of trained volunteers throughout the UK who carry out talks to groups both...
Living with prostate cancer can be hard to deal with emotionally, as well as physically...
We’re a community of people in the UK receiving immunotherapy treatment for bowel cancer...
Cancer Focus NI can provide a wide range of presentations to meet the needs of your...
Writing is well-known to have therapeutic benefits – it gives you a voice and a way of...
When someone is diagnosed with cancer, they may experience feelings of shock, anger, or...
As part of this community, you can talk about whatever you want, from diagnosis to...
The important thing to remember when you’re affected by prostate disease is that you’re...
We’re a supportive and safe place for people with stage 4 bowel cancer living in the UK,...
The Quick Fit programme offers positive steps to improve your health through diet and...
Affected by breast cancer? Join this group to share experiences and ask questions to...
Thrive is a community and safe space for younger women to connect with and support each...
When someone is diagnosed with cancer, they may experience feelings of shock, anger, or...
When someone is diagnosed with cancer, they may experience feelings of shock, anger, or...
The Cancer Focus NI Well Aware service is aimed at the over 60s and is offered in a range...
Macmillan nurses are specialist cancer nurses with experience and qualifications in...
Support for breast cancer
Track your treatment and wellbeing
Prostate Cancer UK launched a campaign to encourage men at higher risk of prostate cancer...

Cancer Articles & Videos

Cancer Helplines & Web Chats

Marie Curie - Helpline
Cancer Research UK - Helpline
Bowel Cancer UK - Forum
Bowel Cancer UK - Ask a Nurse
Macmillan Helpline
Cancer Focus - Nurse Line
Macmillan - Forum
Prostate Cancer UK - Forum
Macmillan - Ask an expert
Prostate Cancer UK - Specialist Nurse
Macmillan - Bereavement Forum