It's ovarian and prostate cancer awareness month: do you know the signs?

March is ovarian and prostate cancer awareness month, so we thought we’d share some information to hopefully help to answer any questions you might have on these particular forms of cancer.

Ovarian

Ovarian cancer is not exclusive to one specific age group, though women over the age of 45 are at higher risk, as are those who have not had children.

Women who have experienced any of the following may have an increased risk of ovarian cancer:

• Two or more close relatives diagnosed with breast or ovarian cancer
• An early first period (under the age of 12)
• Endometriosis (where the lining of the womb grows outside the womb)
• A late menopause (after the age of 50)
• Use of hormone-replacement therapy (HRT) – particularly for seven years or more.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends that you visit your GP if you have any of these symptoms on at least 12 days per month, or if they last for a month or more:

• Bloated feeling (swollen tummy)
• Feeling full quickly after eating and/or loss of appetite
• Pain in lower tummy and/or back
• Needing to pass urine more frequently.

Other symptoms may include:

• change in bowel habits (diarrhea or constipation)
• unexplained weight loss
• unexplained tiredness.

Prostate

Cancer of the prostate is often slow-growing and symptoms may not occur for many years. Men with early prostate cancer may not have any symptoms, as these only occur when the cancer is large enough to put pressure on the urethra. The prostate can also become enlarged due to a condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), which is non-cancerous.

The symptoms of benign (non-cancerous) enlargement of the prostate and prostate cancer are similar. They can include any of the following:

• Difficulty passing urine
• Passing urine more frequently than usual, especially at night
• The feeling of not completely emptying your bladder
• Needing to rush to the toilet to pass urine
• Blood in the urine or semen (this is not common)
• Pain when passing urine or ejaculating (this is rare).

If you have any of these symptoms, it’s important to have them checked by your doctor.

For a small number of men, the first symptom of prostate cancer may be pain in the back, hips or legs. This is because prostate cancer can sometimes spread to the bones. Although there are many other reasons for this kind of pain, it’s a good idea to let your GP know about any pain you haven’t experienced before.

If you are at all worried please make an appointment to see your GP. You can also phone Macmillan cancer support specialists free on 0808 808 00 00 Monday to Friday, 9am-8pm.

Alternatively, if you would like a confidential chat you can call EEAST’s health and wellbeing hub on 01234 243092 or email wellbeing@eastamb.nhs.uk.

Published 13th March, 2017