Prostate and testicular cancer: signs, risks and checks

Why do these cancers need more attention?

Prostate cancer is common. Cancer Research UK reports around 58,000 new cases in the UK each year. Testicular cancer is much rarer, with around 2,300 new cases a year, but it mostly affects younger men.

The two cancers are very different, but they have one thing in common: finding them early makes a real difference. That means knowing your risk, knowing what is normal for your body, and not putting off a GP appointment if something changes.

What are the signs of prostate cancer?

The NHS says prostate cancer often has no symptoms at first. When symptoms do appear, they can include:

• finding it difficult to start peeing, or straining to pee
• a weak flow, or stop-start peeing
• needing to pee urgently or often, including during the night
• feeling like you still need to pee when you have just finished
• blood in your pee or semen
• problems getting or keeping an erection

These symptoms do not always mean cancer. The NHS explains they are also caused by an enlarged prostate, a very common non-cancerous condition as men get older. But they are always worth getting checked by a GP.

Who is more likely to get prostate cancer?

According to the NHS, your risk is higher if you are over 50, if you are of Black African or Black Caribbean heritage, or if a close relative has had prostate cancer. Prostate Cancer UK says about 1 in 4 Black men will get prostate cancer in their lifetime, compared with about 1 in 8 of all men.

Prostate Cancer UK advises that if you are over 50, you might want to ask your GP about your risk. If you are a Black man over 45, or have another reason for higher risk such as a family history, it suggests talking to your GP from 45, even if you have no symptoms. Its online risk checker takes about 30 seconds.

Is there a screening test for prostate cancer?

There is no routine screening programme for prostate cancer on the NHS. But the NHS says anyone with a prostate can ask a GP about a PSA test, a blood test that can help spot problems with the prostate. Your GP will talk through the benefits and risks with you, because the test is not perfect: a raised result does not always mean cancer, and some cancers are missed.

What are the signs of testicular cancer?

Testicular cancer usually shows as a change you can feel. The NHS lists symptoms including:

• a lump or swelling in a testicle
• a testicle getting bigger
• an ache or pain in your testicle or scrotum
• your scrotum feeling heavy, firm or hard

Most lumps are not cancer, but you should always get a new lump or change checked by a GP. It is most common in men aged 15 to 49, and the outlook is very good when it is treated. Cancer Research UK says more than 95 out of every 100 men diagnosed with testicular cancer survive for 10 years or more.

How do you check your testicles?

The NHS recommends checking your testicles around once a month, during or just after a warm bath or shower, when the skin is relaxed. Hold your scrotum in the palm of your hand and use the other hand to gently roll one testicle at a time between your thumb and fingers, feeling for any lumps, swelling or changes. It is normal for one testicle to be slightly bigger or hang lower than the other.

The point is to get to know what is normal for you, so you notice if something changes.

What should you do if you notice a change?

Book a GP appointment. It might feel embarrassing, but GPs check for these problems every day and will want to see you. Most changes turn out to be something less serious, and if it is cancer, finding it early gives you the best chance of successful treatment.

Talking about it helps too. Our story with Rob Hird shows how a conversation with colleagues encouraged him to book a check-up.