Prostate cancer symptoms: Watch out for back pain - signs the disease may have advanced - Express

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK.

Symptoms of the disease do not usually appear until the cancer has grown large enough to put pressure on the urethra.

This can cause problems with urination, such as difficulty starting to pee, weak flow and straining when peeing.

Other related symptoms include needing to pee more frequently - often during the night, needing to rush to the toilet and a feeling the bladder has not emptied fully.

Blood in the urine or semen are also symptoms.

These symptoms do not necessarily signal prostate cancer, but could be a sign of a non-cancerous condition called prostate enlargement.

Prostate enlargement is common in men over the age of 50 and isn’t usually a serious threat to health.

It happens when the prostate becomes enlarged, which places pressure on the bladder and urethra.

“These symptoms should not be ignored, but they do not mean you have prostate cancer,” said the NHS.

“It's more likely they're caused by something else, such as prostate enlargement.”

However, when prostate cancer spreads, it can lead to back pain or pain in the bones.

When prostate cancer has spread to other parts of the body, it can be difficult to cure, so treatment often focuses on prolonging life and delaying symptoms.

Other signs prostate cancer may have spread include a loss of appetite, pain in the testicles and unexplained weight loss.

If prostate cancer has not spread and is not causing any symptoms, treatment is not always necessary, as the side effects can outweigh the benefits of treatment.

Side effects can include erectile dysfunction and further problems with urination.

For this reason, some men choose to delay treatment until there's a risk the cancer might spread.

Instead they mat take hormone medication to control the cancer.

When treatment is necessary, the aim is to cure or control the disease so it affects everyday life as little as possible and doesn't shorten life expectancy.

Prostate cancer usually develops slowly, so there may be no signs for many years.

Some people live with the disease for decades without symptoms of needing treatment.

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