Men 'dying through ignorance' of prostate cancer

GPs are failing to talk to their male patients about prostate cancer risking men "dying through ignorance", a charity has said. A poll carried out by Prostate Cancer UK found only one in 10 GPs brought up the issue of prostate cancer.

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Prostate cancer most common in UK 'in 15-20 years'

Prostate cancer has very few symptoms, Owen Sharp said. Credit: Daybreak/ITV

Prostate cancer will become the most common cancer in the UK "in the next 15-20 years".

Health charity chief Owen Sharp spoke to Daybreak about the health problems caused by prostate cancer and urged men to start talking to their GP about it.

"All the statistics say that prostate cancer is currently the most common cancer among men, it's about as common as breast cancer. Within the next 15-20 years it will be the most common cancer in this country.

"For the majority of the men who have it, they don't have any symptoms. That is the very reason why you need to go to the doctor, particularly when you get close to 50 and see if the test is right for you."

Only 'one in 10' GPs discuss prostate cancer

Only 10% of GPs discuss prostate cancer with their male patients, often failing to initiate the discussion, a poll found.

GPs must be more vocal about the risk of prostate cancer, a charity has said. Credit: PA

The survey of 500 GPs across the UK found many men were risking their health by not discussing the cancer with their doctor, Prostate Cancer UK found.

The risk of developing prostate cancer increases with age, typically from a man's fifties onwards.

Each year, around 41,000 men in the UK are diagnosed with prostate cancer and 11,000 die from the disease.

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