Getting checked for prostate cancer
Your doctor will listen carefully to what changes you’ve noticed. They might:
- Ask for a urine sample to check for infection.
- Arrange for a blood test to test your level of prostate-specific antigen (PSA).
- Examine you rectally to feel if your prostate is enlarged or lumpy.
- Refer you to hospital either for tests or to see a specialist.
If you’d feel more comfortable with a male nurse or GP, be sure to mention this when you make your appointment.
FACTS
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Around 3,400 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year in Scotland.
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1 in 10 men in Scotland are at risk from prostate cancer.
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Prostate cancer is the 4th most common cancer in the UK.
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Almost 90% of men diagnosed with prostate cancer are aged over 60.
As with most cancers, the risk of developing prostate cancer increases with age and most cases are diagnosed in men over 50 years of age.
Prostate cancer is also more common among men of African-Caribbean and African descent. Men of Asian descent seem to be at relatively lower risk, although with lifestyle changes including diet and obesity, prostate cancer is on the increase among Asian men. For more information about prostate cancer visit NHS Inform or call 0800 22 44 88.
Your risk of prostate cancer is higher if you have a close relative, such as a brother or father, who has had prostate cancer.
Male members of families with female members who’ve had an inherited form of breast or ovarian cancers may also have an increased risk of prostate cancer.