Thursday 1st September sees the launch of Urology Awareness Month 2022.

Urology Awareness Month is an annual campaign to raise awareness of urological diseases including prostate, bladder, kidney and male reproductive cancers and non-malignant conditions including incontinence, urinary tract infections (UTIs), erectile dysfunction and kidney stones.

We will be highlighting 3 conditions over the next 30 days;

Prostate Cancer
Urinary tract infection
Erectile dysfunction

What are the symptoms of prostate cancer?

More than 47,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in the UK every year – that’s around 130 every day.¹ Cancer diagnoses fell significantly during the pandemic due to missed screening appointments and fewer people going to the doctor. It’s so important to diagnose cancer early as this significantly improves treatment options and patient outcomes. So, if you do notice any of the symptoms outlined in this blog, please see your GP or or speak to our Pharmacist for more information.

Prostate cancer is caused when cells in the prostate gland grow abnormally and form lumps called tumours. But the prostate gland is well hidden so how do you know if you’ve got prostate cancer? Prostate cancer does not usually cause any symptoms until the cancer has grown large enough to put pressure on the urethra, the tube that carries urine from the bladder out of the penis.
Common prostate cancer symptoms that can also be caused by an enlarged prostate include:

• Needing to rush to the toilet to pass urine
• Passing urine more often than usual, especially at night
• Difficulty in passing urine
• Feeling that your bladder has not emptied fully
• Blood in urine or blood in semen

These symptoms do not necessarily mean you have prostate cancer. The prostate gland can get larger with age due to a common non-cancerous condition called benign prostate enlargement. However, it’s still important to see your doctor and get checked if you experience any changes or symptoms.

If prostate cancer spreads to other parts of the body, it can cause other symptoms including bone and back pain, loss of appetite, unexplained weight loss, problems getting or keeping an erection and testicular pain.

Most men with early prostate cancer have no symptoms and it can only be detected by testing for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and other biomarkers or MRI scans. Please speak to our Pharmacist for more advice and information.

You can also read more information by clicking the following link,

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/prostate-cancer/

References
¹ https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/statistics-by-cancer-type/prostate-cancer#heading-Zer