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Prostate cancer

Prostate cancer affects up to 1 in 8 men in their lifetime. Accessing the right care at the right time is key. Check your symptoms and discover how we approach prostate cancer to minimise side effects and give the best possible outcomes.

BPC Expertise

Access world-class care

Birmingham Prostate Clinic is part of GenesisCare, the UK’s leading independent provider of cancer care. Together, our consultants provide a complete pathway to expert care for cancer and benign conditions at a range of private hospitals in the West Midlands and the wider UK.

About prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men and becomes more likely with age.

The possibility of cancer is always concerning, but many people with prostate cancer have slow growing cancer. It’s possible to live well for years, helped by early diagnosis and advances in treatments.

A small number of people will have more aggressive prostate cancer. A quick and accurate diagnosis helps find fast-growing prostate cancer so it can be treated at the right time.

The prostate is a gland found between the penis and the bladder, and plays an important role in male fertility by producing a fluid that transports and supports semen.

Prostate cancer is a common condition because it’s related to age. People in countries like the UK are living longer, so we’re seeing more cases of prostate cancer.

People with a prostate include:

  • Men
  • Trans women*
  • Non binary people born male
  • Some intersex people

* Trans women can still get prostate cancer even if they take hormones. The prostate is not usually removed in genital reconstructive surgery.

Anyone with a prostate can get prostate cancer.

Things that increase your risk include1:

  • Age – most people with prostate cancer are aged over 50
  • Ethnicity – prostate cancer is more common in Black men than white or Asian men
  • Family history – if you have a close relative (father, brother, uncle or grandfather) with prostate cancer
  • Weight – being above your healthy weight range (a BMI over 252)

Prostate cancer symptoms

If you’re experiencing symptoms, it’s important to see a specialist quickly to check for prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer symptoms include:

  • Needing to urinate more often, particularly at night
  • Difficulty or straining when urinating
  • Weak urine flow
  • Feeling like your bladder isn’t empty after urinating
  • Blood in your semen or urine

Signs of advanced prostate cancer include bone pain, feeling tired or unwell, and losing weight for no reason.

Having these symptoms doesn’t always mean prostate cancer. Our consultants are experts in diagnosing and treating a range of prostate conditions, including enlarged prostate and prostatitis (an inflamed or swollen prostate).

Birmingham Prostate Clinic are a team of leading urologists and oncologists, who specialise in diagnosing and treating prostate, bladder and kidney conditions.

Our consultants use a stepwise approach to diagnosing prostate cancer. This means accurately assessing the risk at every stage, avoiding invasive tests until needed.

  1. A specialist consultation, prostate exam, and PSA blood test
  2. A template prostate biopsy, which is the gold standard biopsy

Worried about prostate cancer symptoms?

Our consultants are here with specialist advice on fast access to the latest tests and treatments for prostate cancer.

Book an appointment

Prostate cancer tests

Advanced new diagnostics can accurately assess your individual prostate cancer risk, avoiding invasive tests such as a biopsy unless absolutely necessary.

Our consultants are experienced in using the latest tests and scans to carefully check for prostate cancer. We know the importance of getting the right tests quickly, for peace of mind and early diagnosis. 

Prostate cancer treatments

The latest advances in treatments can help treat and control prostate cancer while minimising side effects, to give the best possible outcomes.

We are a leading group of urology and cancer experts with a seamless pathway for personalised prostate cancer treatments. Our consultants’ approach to prostate cancer is to develop a treatment plan that considers what’s most important to you.

Treatments may include:

  • HIFU (high intensity focused ultrasound)
  • Surgery, including keyhole surgery or prostatectomy
  • Radiotherapy, including MR linac, Cyberknife, stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR), TomoTherapy and VMAT
  • Cancer drugs, including chemotherapy, immunotherapy, hormone therapy and anti-androgen treatment

Our partnership with GenesisCare UK provides patients with access to cutting-edge radiotherapy treatments, including SABR for prostate cancer on the MRIdian MR Linac.

Get in touch to book an appointment and discuss your needs, or learn more about some of the most common prostate cancer treatments below.

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Book an appointment

It’s time to get you the treatment plan you need. Book an appointment with Mr Alan Doherty, Consultant Urologist, to discuss your condition and the medical care that can help.