A cancer specialist is warning men to speak up and have a five-minute conversation many avoid as they "don't want to cause a fuss". Dr Jiri Kubes says the chat could be one of the most important they ever have.
Prostate cancer: the most common cancer in men
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men and usually affects those aged over 65. There are around 57,000 new cases of the disease diagnosed every year in the UK, which amounts to around 160 a day, according to Cancer Research UK. However, in its earliest stages the disease often causes no symptoms, which means it is important to know if you are one of those at greater risk of developing it.
Dr Kubes, medical director and radiation oncologist who specialises in the treatment of prostate cancer at the Proton Therapy Center, is now urging men to stop 'putting off' talking about the disease. He says: "Too often we hear that men have concerns and haven’t sought help because they don’t want to cause a fuss. This needs to stop."
Who is most at risk?
Dr Kubes says men need to be aware if they fall into an 'at-risk' group and discuss this with their GP. He explains: "We don’t want men to wait until they experience symptoms to start thinking about their risk of prostate cancer. The conversations need to start earlier than that."
He says: "We know some men are more likely to develop prostate cancer. Risk increases with age, with most men affected being over the age of 50. Black men and those with a history of prostate cancer in their family, such as a father or brother with the disease, are also more at risk." According to Macmillan Cancer Support, risk is also higher if there is a family history of breast or ovarian cancer.
What are the later symptoms?
The prostate is a walnut-sized gland under the bladder. In the early stages prostate cancer is often present without symptoms. This is because they usually only appear once the tumour is large enough to place pressure on the urethra, which transports urine from the bladder.
When this happens, symptoms can include needing to pee more often, straining when you pee, or feeling as if your bladder has not fully emptied. But there are other reasons why these symptoms might appear, and don’t always mean someone has cancer.
Is there routine screening?
Dr Kubes said: "In the UK there is currently no national screening for prostate cancer like there is for diseases such as breast cancer. The best thing you can do if you fall into an at-risk group is talk to your GP."
"They can discuss with you a PSA test, which shows levels of prostate-specific antigens in the blood. There are pros and cons to taking the test, which is why they are not routinely offered to everyone, but your doctor can discuss if the test is right for you."
"If you are experiencing any symptoms which don’t feel normal for you or are causing you concern, then speak to your doctor about this, too. In many cases they may simply be down to an enlarged prostate, which is very common as men get older, but it’s always best to make sure."
Early diagnosis means there is a far greater chance of a successful treatment pathway and opens up more treatment options. "Proton beam therapy is available for prostate cancer and aims to reduce side effects," said Dr Kubes.
"That's because it uses a beam of high-energy protons that can be targeted precisely at cancer cells, which may limit the dose to surrounding tissues and organs. In an area as delicate as the prostate, this may help protect things like urinary and sexual function."
What are the UK screening guidelines?
Some cancers, such as breast and cervical cancer, have routine screening where people without symptoms are tested for early stages of a cancer, or for early changes that could develop into cancer if left untreated. However, for this to be useful the tests need to be reliable at picking up cancers that need treatment, overall must do more good than harm to people taking part, and must be something that people are willing to do.
Cancer Research UK warns: "Screening tests are not perfect and have some harms as well as benefits." It adds: "In the UK, there is an independent body of experts. They are called the National Screening Committee (UK NSC). The UK NSC makes recommendations to governments on screening programmes. They base these on the best scientific evidence."
"The UK NSC will only recommend a screening programme if overall, the benefits outweigh the harms. The screening programme should also be good value for money for the NHS."
However there are new guidelines being set in place. The charity explains: "The UK NSC has recently reviewed all of the evidence on prostate cancer screening. They looked at this alongside feedback from organisations, experts and the public. In May 2026 they gave their final recommendation."
Currently, the UK NSC does not recommend screening all men for prostate cancer. This is because there is not a reliable enough test to screen all men. And there isn’t enough strong evidence to show that screening everyone would do more good than harm.
"The UK NSC has recommended targeted prostate cancer screening instead. Targeted screening means offering screening to people who are at higher risk of cancer. In June 2026 the UK government accepted the UK NSC's recommendations for targeted prostate cancer screening in England."
