What is Prostate cancer?

It is a disease of the Prostate gland in men

Who does it affect?

It can affect anyone born as a man

Where is my Prostate?

Your Prostate gland is about the size of a walnut. It fits snugly in the pelvis right under your bladder and surrounds the tube that you urinate through (the uretha). It can sometimes affect the way you pee or urinate.

What’s my prostate for?

Situated virtually at the central hub of a man’s urinary and reproductive tracts it produces and mixes nourishing bathing fluid for the sperm and makes the semen liquid.

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Can prostate cancer be inherited?

Occasionally prostate cancer has a strong inherited component and screening can be offered to ‘at risk’ relatives.
Please mention to your doctor if anybody else in your family has had prostate, breast, ovarian or bowel cancer. This is particularly relevant for men diagnosed under the age of 60.
It is hoped in the longer term that carrying out genetic tests on prostate cancers will help clinicians design specific targeted treatment plans for individual patients.
If you are concerned about any of this please contact:
The Clinical Genetics department at the Leicester Royal infirmary on 0116 258 5736.