Every man has one and for some it’s important for their sex life, yet few men know anything about their prostate or what can go wrong with it. Better knowledge about this walnut-sized gland will help men to make better choices about testing and treatment.

The prostate is located below the bladder. It produces some of the fluid in semen and is crucial to a man’s sex life.
The prostate often enlarges as men get older, but for two-thirds of men aged 50 or over this doesn’t cause any problems.


Prostate cancer is the most common of cancers in men in the UK and more than 11,000 men die from it every year, however if prostate cancer is diagnosed in the early stages the chances of survival are generally good.

Most men with early prostate cancer have no symptoms at all. Some of the symptoms of prostate cancer below can also be caused by other medical problems.

Symptoms of all prostate problems include:

  • needing to pee often, especially at night
  • difficulty starting to pee
  • straining to pee or taking a long time to finish
  • pain when peeing or during sex
If you have any of these symptoms, you should talk to your GP. It is advised that men should be tested starting at age 50 if they are at average risk of prostate cancer and have at least a 10-year life expectancy, at age 45 if they are at high risk and at age 40 if they are at very high risk (those with several first-degree relatives who have a history or prostate problems.