Prostate health is fundamental to men's wellbeing, yet it remains one of the most overlooked aspects of male healthcare, especially in the UK. Despite improvements in cancer awareness, recent research in the UK has highlighted a worrying knowledge gap. A survey by Prostate Cancer UK found that 92% of British men cannot identify the function or location of the prostate, and 17% don't even know they have a prostate.
Prostate cancer has now become the most common cancer in men, with over 50,000 new cases diagnosed each year, making early detection crucial. However, experts from the NHS and Cancer Research UK stress that most men don't report symptoms until the disease has reached a more advanced stage, reducing treatment options and survival rates. Due to this widespread lack of awareness and a societal reluctance to discuss men's health, serious symptoms are often overlooked or dismissed as simply part of aging.
Neglecting prostate health not only increases the risk of chronic urinary problems but can also lead to life-threatening conditions, such as advanced cancer and irreversible organ damage. Early awareness of prostate health through regular checkups, symptom recognition, and informed decision-making remains the best strategy for improving longevity and quality of life for men across the UK.
Why Men Ignore the Symptoms
Many men ignore the symptoms of prostate problems, including prostate cancer, for a variety of reasons, including lack of awareness, cultural trends, and misconceptions. Research and surveys in the UK show that 92% of men don't know the function or exact location of their prostate, and 17% don't even know they have a prostate. More than half of men can't recognize prostate symptoms, and most don't understand their individual risk, especially high-risk groups such as black men or those over 50.
Men are also less likely to seek medical help for physical changes, due to embarrassment, fear of diagnosis, or a desire not to "make a fuss" over seemingly minor symptoms. Some men underestimate the severity of symptoms or hope the problems will resolve without intervention, while others fear the impact of diagnosis or treatment on sexual health and masculinity. Many public health campaigns have historically targeted women or addressed generalities, leading to reduced participation or awareness among men. As a result, these trends lead to delayed diagnosis, missed opportunities for early intervention, and ultimately, increased risk of serious illness and poor outcomes.
Early Warning Signs of Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer rarely shows symptoms in its early stages, so regular screening is important for those at risk. When early symptoms do appear, they are often subtle and may mimic those of non-cancerous prostate conditions. Common early symptoms include:
- Difficulty starting urination or straining to urinate.
- Weak or obstructed urine flow.
- Feeling the need to urinate more often, especially at night (nocturia).
- Sudden urge to urinate or feeling like the bladder is not empty.
- Pain or burning during urination or ejaculation.
- Blood in urine or semen.
- Sudden erectile dysfunction or difficulty maintaining an erection.
These symptoms may also be caused by benign prostate enlargement, but their onset, especially with blood in the urine or semen, should prompt medical evaluation.
How Prostate Cancer Spreads If Untreated
If left untreated, prostate cancer can go through several different stages, starting in the prostate gland and spreading to distant parts of the body. In its early stages, the cancer is usually confined to the prostate (stage 1 or 2), where it may cause few or no symptoms and is almost curable. However, over time, without treatment, the cancer may spread locally to nearby structures, such as the seminal vesicles, bladder, or rectum (stage 3). From here, cancer cells may travel through the lymphatic system to lymph nodes or enter the bloodstream and migrate to distant organs, especially bones (stage 4).
In this advanced stage, symptoms can include bone pain, fractures, fatigue, and other complications. Metastatic prostate cancer is rarely curable and significantly reduces survival rates. While limited prostate cancer has a five-year survival rate of over 95%, this drops to about 30% if the disease has spread. If left untreated, it can cause severe pain, urinary and intestinal obstruction, neurological problems, and can eventually be fatal.
Read More: What causes Enlarged Prostate?
How is prostatitis treated?
Treatment for prostatitis depends on its underlying cause and whether it's acute or chronic. For acute bacterial prostatitis, immediate treatment with antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin or trimethoprim is necessary, usually for two to four weeks, and most men see noticeable improvement within a few days.
Pain management is important and may include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or paracetamol, while alpha-blockers are also sometimes given to reduce urinary symptoms, especially if there is difficulty urinating. Chronic prostatitis or chronic pelvic pain syndrome, which is not usually caused by infection, may require a long course of antibiotics, painkillers, alpha-blockers, and sometimes antidepressants or nerve pain medications for persistent discomfort.
Additional treatments include pelvic floor physiotherapy and lifestyle changes such as drinking more fluids, avoiding stimulants like caffeine and alcohol, and adopting stress relief measures to improve outcomes. Chronic or recurring cases are best managed with specialist advice to control symptoms.
How is BPH treated?
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is treated with a combination of lifestyle changes, medications, and surgical procedures, depending on the severity of symptoms and overall health. Initially, mild symptoms can be managed with lifestyle changes, such as reducing caffeine and alcohol intake, drinking enough water, and doing regular pelvic floor exercises to improve bladder control.
When symptoms become severe, medications are usually given. Alpha-blockers, such as tamsulosin, relax the smooth muscles of the bladder neck and prostate, making urination easier and providing immediate relief from symptoms. 5-alpha reductase inhibitors, such as finasteride, help shrink the prostate over time by blocking the hormonal changes that cause prostate enlargement, although their full effect may take several months to appear. Sometimes, a combination of these medications is used for greater efficacy.
If medications don't improve symptoms or if BPH is severe, surgical options are considered. The most common procedure is transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), in which excess prostate tissue is removed to relieve the blockage. Other options include laser therapy like Greenlight surgery, minimally invasive methods like UroLift, Rezum water vapor therapy, and open or robotic prostatectomy for larger glands.
The choice of treatment depends on the size of the prostate, symptom severity, other medical conditions, and personal preferences, and patients work closely with their medical team to select the right approach for them. BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia) treatment is tailored to symptom severity and individual patient needs, including lifestyle changes such as reducing caffeine and alcohol, increasing physical activity, and modifying fluid intake patterns to alleviate mild urinary symptoms.
For men with moderate symptoms, medications are the primary treatment. Alpha-blockers (e.g., tamsulosin, alfuzosin) relax the muscles of the prostate and bladder neck, making urination easier and faster; they often work quickly but can cause mild side effects, such as dizziness. If medications don't work or symptoms are severe, several surgical and minimally invasive procedures are available. Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) is the most common surgery that removes excess prostate tissue to relieve the blockage.
How is prostate cancer treated?
Treatment for prostate cancer in the UK depends primarily on the stage, grade, and risk of the cancer, as well as the patient's age and overall health. For men with low-risk, localized prostate cancer, active surveillance is often recommended. This approach involves closely monitoring the cancer through regular PSA blood tests, digital rectal exams, and sometimes MRI scans to detect any signs of progression, thus preventing or delaying unnecessary treatment and its potential side effects.
When treatment becomes necessary, surgery and radiotherapy are the primary options. Radical prostatectomy, in which the entire prostate gland is surgically removed, is usually considered for men with a longer life expectancy and localized disease. This surgery is increasingly performed with robotic assistance for better accuracy and shorter recovery time. Radiotherapy, which includes external beam radiation and brachytherapy (internal radiation), is another effective treatment for destroying cancer cells in the prostate. Often, radiotherapy is combined with hormone therapy for locally advanced or high-risk prostate cancer.
For men with prostate cancer that has spread beyond the prostate to distant sites such as nearby lymph nodes or bones, hormone therapy is the main treatment. This treatment reduces testosterone levels, which prostate cancer cells rely on to grow. Advanced cases may also require chemotherapy or newer targeted therapies to help control disease progression.
Recent developments in the UK include focal therapies such as high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) and irreversible electroporation (IRE), which aim to treat cancerous tissue while preserving healthy prostate tissue, potentially reducing side effects compared to conventional treatments.
Conclusion
Prostate health remains a crucial, yet often neglected, factor in men's longevity and quality of life. British research confirms that ignoring symptoms leads to late diagnosis, aggressive disease, and a shorter life expectancy. Early warning signs are often subtle or absent, making education, regular checkups, and frank communication with healthcare providers crucial.
Evidence-based management for prostatitis, BPH, and cancer has advanced rapidly, leading to effective, less invasive treatments and promising long-term outcomes.
Men are encouraged to schedule regular health checkups, seek prompt advice, and consider lifestyle and nutritional interventions like BioNutrica BioProstate to support their health. The earlier and more openly these health issues are discussed, the more lives and families will be saved.
Also Read: Does Magnesium Help with Sleep
F.A.Q.
1. What are the early signs of prostate cancer?
Early signs include difficulty urinating, a weak urine stream, frequent urination at night, and blood in the urine or semen.
2. Can prostate cancer be cured?
Prostate cancer is treatable if caught early, especially if it is confined to the prostate gland.
3. At what age should men get tested for prostate cancer?
Screening usually begins at age 50, or earlier for men at higher risk, such as Black men or those with a family history (45).
4. Does prostate cancer affect sexual health?
Yes, prostate cancer and its treatment can cause erectile dysfunction and changes in sexual function.
5. What foods help prevent prostate cancer?
A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, plant-based foods, and healthy fats supports prostate health and may reduce the risk.
