Researchers from Cambridge University found “no indication of a causal relationship between prostate cancer and either prostate size or bothersome male urine symptoms.”
The public health messaging surrounding prostate cancer places a misleading emphasis on urine symptoms, which may hinder early detection attempts, scientists have cautioned.
Researchers from Cambridge University found “no indication of a causal relationship between prostate cancer and either prostate size or bothersome male urine symptoms.”
However, public health guidelines frequently promote this association, with an increased desire to urinate ranking high on the NHS website’s list of prostate cancer symptoms.
The researchers suggest in a paper published in the journal BMC Medicine that the “strong public impression” that male urine symptoms are a crucial signal of prostate cancer “may seriously impede attempts to induce early presentation.”
The report states, “If earlier diagnosis rates are to increase, men must be informed that prostate cancer is a symptomless illness, particularly in its curable phases, and that they should undergo testing regardless of whether or not they have symptoms.”
“This should be done concurrently with other ongoing efforts to promote awareness, including a focus on men at the highest risk according to racial ancestry or family history.”
Cancer of the prostate is the most prevalent kind of cancer among men. According to Cancer Research UK, more than 52,000 men are diagnosed with the disease annually, and more than 12,000 die as a result.
More than three-quarters (78%) of men diagnosed with the condition survive for more than ten years, however, this proportion has not changed significantly over the past decade in the United Kingdom, primarily because the disease is detected at a rather advanced stage.
In England, over half of prostate tumors are detected in stages three and four.
Professor of Urology at Cambridge University, Vincent Gnanapragasam, stated, “When most people think of prostate cancer symptoms, they think of difficulty urinating or the desire to urinate more frequently, especially at night.
This misconception has persisted for decades despite scant proof, and it may impede us from identifying instances at an early stage.
Even though prostate growth might cause urinary issues, which are frequently mentioned in public health messages, the researchers noted that it is rather uncommonly related to malignant prostate tumors.
Instead, evidence indicates that the prostate is smaller in prostate cancer instances.
