Prostate cancer has officially overtaken breast cancer to become the most commonly diagnosed cancer in England, according to a major analysis by Prostate Cancer UK. This significant shift in public health comes as former Prime Minister David Cameron reveals his own diagnosis with the disease.
A Growing Health Concern
The analysis reveals that 50,751 men received a prostate cancer diagnosis in England during 2022, compared with 48,531 breast cancer diagnoses. The numbers climbed even higher in 2023, with 55,033 individuals diagnosed with prostate cancer against 47,526 breast cancer cases. This represents a striking 25% increase in prostate cancer cases between 2019 and 2023.
Lord Cameron, 59, disclosed that his diagnosis came after his wife Samantha urged him to get checked. A prostate specific antigen (PSA) test ultimately revealed the cancer. "You always hope for the best," he told The Times. "You have an MRI scan with a few black marks on it. You think, 'Ah, that's probably OK.' But when the biopsy comes back, and it says you have got prostate cancer? You always dread hearing those words."
The Importance of Early Detection
Professor Peter Johnson, NHS England's Clinical Director for Cancer, emphasised the positive aspect of these rising numbers: "Thanks to the hard work of NHS staff and our effective awareness campaigns, we are diagnosing more men with prostate cancer at an earlier stage than ever before, so they have the best possible chance of receiving effective treatment."
Chiara De Biase, director at Prostate Cancer UK, highlighted a critical challenge: prostate cancer typically doesn't produce symptoms in its early stages when it's most treatable. "That's why we do everything we can to make every man aware of his risk of getting the disease and empower him to think about his testing options," she explained.
Recognising the Symptoms and Understanding Your Risk
According to the NHS, symptoms often appear only when the prostate is large enough to press against the urethra. It's important to note that these symptoms can also indicate non-cancerous conditions like benign prostate enlargement.
The key symptoms everyone should know include:
- Finding it difficult to start peeing or straining to pee
- Having a weak flow of urine
- 'Stop-start' peeing
- Needing to pee urgently or often, or both
- Feeling like you still need to pee when you've just finished
- Peeing during the night
- Erectile dysfunction
- Finding blood in your urine or blood in your semen
- Lower back pain
- Losing weight without trying to
Prostate cancer predominantly affects men over 50, with black men facing the highest risk. NHS England guidelines state that anyone over 50 can request a PSA test, while GPs use clinical judgement for younger men without symptoms who may be at increased risk. Men experiencing symptoms can request testing regardless of age.
Prostate Cancer UK is now campaigning for an overhaul of NHS guidelines, particularly to allow doctors to start conversations about prostate cancer risk with black men from age 45. The charity is urging the public to support this campaign, noting significant regional disparities in diagnosis and treatment outcomes across the UK.
As Ms De Biase concluded: "We face a dreadful North-South divide in the UK, where you're more likely to get an incurable diagnosis in certain areas than others. Despite all this, GPs aren't currently allowed to raise the issue of prostate cancer and testing, even with the men who have the highest risk of getting it - something we're asking the Government to change right now."
