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Posted on Apr 07, 2008, 8 p.m.
By Jeanelle Topping
Prostate enlargement is a common effect of aging in older men but experts advise men remain aware that cancer can develop, the Prostate Cancer Charity warns.
Prostate enlargement is a common effect of aging in older men but experts advise men remain aware that cancer can develop, the Prostate Cancer Charity warns.
From the age of 50 prostate enlargement is relatively normal in men, according to specialists, and symptoms can include the need to pass water more often.
Louisa Fleure, a specialist nurse at the Prostate Cancer Charity, explained: "When men hit about 50, their prostate starts getting bigger - it's just a normal part of aging.
"Most men will have symptoms and there are lots of things that can be done for that generally, but they may also have a cancer there, and the cancer doesn't always give symptoms."
Figures from Cancer Research show that approximately 60 per cent of men diagnosed with stage three prostate cancer will live for more than five years after diagnosis.
Men who develop stage four prostate cancer, where the cancer spreads into other parts of the body, on average can expect to respond to treatment for around 12 to 18 months.
An estimated one in three men with the advanced disease will live for more than five years post-diagnosis.
