What is Prostate Cancer? | Cancer Research UK

To find out more about what prostate cancer is then visit: http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-help/type/prostate-cancer/ Watch more videos about what prostate cancer is at the end of this video.

This video explains what the function of the prostate is, what prostate cancer is and how cancer starts in the prostate. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK so it's important to know the facts.

Dr. Vincent Gnanapragasm from Cambridge University talks us what Prostate Cancer is:

Prostate Cancer is the number 1 cancer among men in the UK, so with that in mind I’ve come to Cambridge University hospital to speak with Dr. Vincent Gnanapragasam to find out more. So Vincent where exactly is the prostate and what does it do?

Well the prostate is effectively a very large gland and it sits between the bladder and the urethra, which is the pipe work. It produces fluid that washes the seamen and keeps the sperms healthy for successful fertilization and that’s what the function of the prostate is.

So what happens when cancer develops in the prostate? Where does it grow? It usually begins within the edges of the prostate and can occur in more than one place. It starts to grow inside the prostate first of all, and when it gets advanced enough it starts to go through the lining edges of the prostate.

Now this is a cancer that effects men and not women, but does it effect all men equally? Well there is an old saying that the older you are the more likely you are to get prostate cancer and that’s probably true to a certain extent. There are other risk groups which we have to think about, and that includes ethnicity, so we know that black men are more likely to get it. Those with a family history of Prostate Cancer, usually a father or a brother, first degree relative as we say. And those who come from families where their may be an increase risk of breast cancer.

Risk Groups:

- Age
- Ethnicity
- Family history of Prostate Cancer
- Family history of Breast Cancer

Now the numbers of men being diagnosed with Prostate Cancer has risen hasn’t it. Why is this? Well it’s probably not anything that’s new in terms of something that’s happened to men. Clearly men are living longer and as I mentioned to you before, the more older you are the more likely you are to get Prostate Cancer. And that’s probably why we are detecting many more cancers.

Why has Prostate Cancer cases risen?:

- Men living longer
- More men seeking help
- More diagnosed with Prostate Cancer

In addition more men are seeking to know whether they have got prostate Cancer and they might go to the GP and ask for a test to be done, or they may have urine symptoms which is a very common thing for an older man to get. And as part of the assessment they may be found to have prostate cancer. But there is no doubt that those factors have contributed to a very significant increase in the number of men who seem to be diagnosed with Prostate Cancer.

The encouraging thing though is that deaths from Prostate Cancer are falling. As Prostate Cancer is one of the most common cancers, it’s something we should all know more about. For further information visit the cancer Research UK website. Or if you’re concerned with the symptoms, treatments or living with Prostate Cancer see the other videos in this series.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2OATIXezCQ