Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK, but because the disease develops slowly, there may be no signs you have it for many years.
Symptoms often only become apparent when the prostate is large enough to affect the urethra (the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the penis), says the NHS.
When this happens, you may begin to notice symptoms, most of which are linked to your toilet habits.
From passing urine more often to leaking urine, there are five signs you should watch out for to indicate the disease, according to Cancer Research UK.
Passing urine more often
You might find you need to empty your bladder more than normal during the day.
Getting up in the night
You may be getting up a few times in the night to empty your bladder.
Difficulty passing urine
It might be harder to empty your bladder than normal. This is called urinary hesitancy.
The charity explains: “It might be difficult to start emptying your bladder or the flow might be weaker.
“You might be straining to pass urine. Or it might stop and start when you do go.”
Urgency
You might often have a sudden strong urge to empty your bladder. And you may need to rush to the toilet.
Leaking urine
You might find that you leak a little after passing urine.
Other symptoms of prostate cancer that can occur include blood in urine or semen – though this is rare – and erection problems – but this is uncommon.
Many men could confuse an enlarged prostate with one of the symptoms of prostate cancer.
But how can you tell the difference and are you more likely to get prostate cancer with an enlarged prostate?
The prostate is a small gland, located in the pelvis, between the penis and bladder.
It’s supposed to be about the shape and size of a walnut, and as well as letting urine flow out of the body, it secretes fluid that nourishes and protects sperm.
The medical term for an enlarged prostate is benign prostatic enlargement.
If the prostate becomes enlarged, it can place pressure on the bladder and urethra, affecting how you pee.
According to the NHS, this can cause difficulty starting to pee, a frequent need to pee, and difficulty fully emptying your bladder.
