Prostate cancer new breakthroughs – and find out your risk in 30 seconds

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK and more than half a million are living with it or after it.

Early detection is key. Almost everyone who’s diagnosed at stage one or two (when the cancer is contained within the prostate gland) will survive for five years or more.

However there is still no national screening programme and when found in later stages, treatment options are very limited.

Six-time Olympic cycling champion Sir Chris Hoy had no symptoms when he was diagnosed with terminal stage four prostate cancer last year and he is calling on more men to take a simple 30 second test to check their risk - and potentially save their lives.

Positive news in the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer

This month there has been positive news in the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer.

A clinical trial by the University of Toronto suggested that "game changing" biopsies guided by high-resolution ultrasound could speed-up diagnosis. Researchers said that the technology would be cheaper and faster than MRI, which is currently used to test for the cancer.

Professor Laurence Klotz, from the University of Toronto, said: "We now know microUS can give as good a diagnostic accuracy as MRI. That is game-changing.

"It means you can offer a one-stop shop, where patients are scanned, then biopsied immediately if required."

While another trial, this time by five UK hospitals found a new more precise method of prostate surgery, known as NeuroSafe, nearly doubles the chances of men retaining their erectile function than after standard procedures.

Prof Greg Shaw, the trial lead, told The Guardian: “This procedure gives surgeons feedback during the surgery to give them the certainty they need to spare as many nerves as possible and give men increased hope of recovering their sexual potency after their cancer is surgically removed.”

The news has been welcomed by Prostate Cancer UK.

Simon Grieveson, Assistant Director of Research at Prostate Cancer UK, said: “We have seen from previous studies, including the CADMUS trial which was funded by Prostate Cancer UK and the J P Moulton Charitable Foundation, that ultrasound can be used alongside, or as an alternative to, an MRI scan to detect prostate cancer.

"It’s fantastic to see further research into this area and the results of the Optimum trial provides compelling evidence that high-resolution micro-ultrasound scans could provide an alternative to MRI in detecting prostate cancer, particularly for men who are unable to have an MRI for medical reasons, or where MRI is unavailable."

The charity added that the trial of NeuroSafe was very promising, but that more research is still needed into the technique and there needs to be clarification on whether it could be delivered across the NHS to make it accessible to all men.

What’s my risk of prostate cancer?

One in eight men will get it: over-50s are most affected and your risk increases with age.

The cause is unknown and symptoms don’t usually appear until the prostate becomes enlarged and affects the tube that carries urine from the penis (urethra) or the cancer has spread outside of the prostate.

Anyone with a prostate could get it, including trans women and non-binary people who were assigned male at birth and some intersex people.

Factors such as family history could put you at a higher risk, particularly if your father or brother had prostate cancer or your mother or sister had breast cancer.

Ethnicity affects your risk too – it’s more common in Black men compared with other ethnic backgrounds (one in four Black men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime). The reason why is not yet known.

Symptoms of prostate cancer

Amy Rylance, head of improving care at Prostate Cancer UK, said: “Prostate cancer often has no symptoms in its early, more treatable stages – so a man could feel fit and well while unknowingly living with the disease."

“That’s why it’s so important to understand your level of risk, which is higher for all men over 50. If you’re Black, or your dad or brother had the disease, the risk is even greater, so we strongly recommend you speak to your GP from the age of 45.

"Some prostate cancers grow slowly and you might not notice symptoms for many years, so it’s important to know if you’re at risk and what you can choose to do about it.”

See your GP if you have any of these common symptoms

Whilst you should not watch and wait for symptoms before discussing your prostate cancer risk with your GP, if you do experience any of the following it is best to contact your GP immediately.

• Needing to urinate more often than usual, especially at night
• Feeling the need to urinate, but having difficulty getting started
• A weak flow
• A sudden need to urinate
• A feeling that your bladder hasn’t emptied
• Blood in your urine or semen 

Nothing to be embarrassed about

Because early stage prostate cancer doesn’t often show any symptoms, it’s important to be aware of your risk.

Awareness of the disease has been increased most recently by Sir Chris Hoy and by celebrities including Stephen Fry, Sir Ian McKellen and Nile Rodgers, talking openly about being diagnosed.

In the week following much-loved TV presenter Bill Turnbull’s death from the disease in August 2022, Prostate Cancer UK saw a 2,500% increase in people using the risk checker, and the charity noticed the “Fry-Turnbull” effect causing a similar spike in referrals.

Then when it was announced in 2024 that King Charles was undergoing a procedure for an enlarged prostate, the NHS said searches soared - with its website receiving 11 times the normal daily visits.

Diagnosing prostate cancer

What is a PSA test?

A prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test can help with early detection of prostate cancer, and if you’re over 50 you can ask your GP for one. It’s a simple blood test, but it’s not commonly used for screening because your PSA level can be raised by other, non-cancerous conditions.

If you do have a raised PSA level, your GP may offer you an MRI scan of your prostate to see if you need further tests and treatment.

Early stage prostate cancer doesn’t always need treatment and your doctor might suggest “watchful waiting” or “active surveillance” to keep an eye on it. Find out more from the NHS here.

A £42 million cancer screening trial

Today, prostate cancer is currently the only major cancer without a national screening program in the UK. But Prostate Cancer UK is working to change this.

The £42 million TRANSFORM trial is the most ambitious prostate cancer screening trial in 20 years, developed with the backing of the NHS, and was launched in May 2024. 

Hundreds of thousands of men are being invited by their GPs to take part in the trial to find the best way to screen for prostate cancer.

Although it will last for 20 years, the charity says that after three years, it should know the most promising approach.

What can I do to prevent prostate cancer?

Prostate cancer is not a “lifestyle cancer” (e.g lung cancer is connected with the lifestyle choice of smoking),and no one knows right now how to prevent it.

However Prostate Cancer UK suggests that a healthy diet and regular exercise are important for health, and might help lower your risk of being diagnosed with advanced or aggressive prostate cancer. 

Measures that could help include

• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Staying physically active
• Eating a healthy diet, including at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day; limiting caffeine and sugary drinks, and minimising your intake of saturated fat, salt and sugar
• Cutting down on red and processed meat: eat no more than 70g a day
• Stopping smoking: smoking is linked to aggressive prostate cancer, but if you quit your risk is lower after ten years.