The news of King Charles's recent prostate issues and subsequent cancer diagnosis has brought the subject of prostate health problems into the public consciousness. It seems the King doesn't have prostate cancer, but he has been praised for raising awareness of the issue, especially for older men.
The charity Prostate Cancer UK has been asking men, via billboards up and down the country, to check their risk of cancer and to see their GP if there are any warning signs, such as frequent, difficult-to-control urination. Prostate cancer remains a complex and nuanced condition, however.
The prostate gland sits under the bladder and tends to get larger with age. The urethra - the tube that drains urine from the bladder to the outside world - passes through it.
This means that when the prostate enlarges, it presses on the urethra, slowing down the passage of urine and giving rise to other symptoms, such as dribbling or needing to pee more often. It's a common condition.
Similarly, the development of cancer forming in the prostate gland is also very common. In fact, autopsy studies suggest that 36 per cent of Caucasians and 51 per cent of African Americans have prostate cancer when in their 70s.
Another study even suggests that as many as five per cent of men under the age of 30 are living with prostate cancer. This sounds alarming, but the cancers were found by performing autopsies on men that died of other causes.
This story is from the March 2024 edition of BBC Science Focus.
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This story is from the March 2024 edition of BBC Science Focus.
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