Prostate cancer - Symptoms 

Symptoms of prostate cancer 

Prostate cancer normally causes no symptoms until the cancer has grown large enough to put pressure on the urethra. This normally results in problems associated with urination.

Symptoms can include:

  • needing to urinate more frequently, often during the night
  • needing to rush to the toilet
  • difficulty in starting to urinate or pee (hesitancy)
  • straining or taking a long time while urinating
  • weak flow
  • feeling that your bladder has not emptied fully

These symptoms shouldn’t be ignored but they do not mean you definitely have prostate cancer. Many men's prostates get larger as they get older due to a non-cancerous condition known as benign prostatic hyperplasia or prostate enlargement.

Symptoms that the cancer may have spread include bone and back pain, a loss of appetite, pain in the testicles, and unexplained weight loss.

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  • show glossary terms
Benign
Benign refers to a condition that should not become life-threatening. In relation to tumours, benign means not cancerous.
Bladder
The bladder is a small organ near the pelvis that holds urine until it is ready to be passed from the body.

Last reviewed: 14/02/2011

Next review due: 14/02/2013