A man from Peterborough who was diagnosed with prostate cancer says getting tested can be life saving
New analysis found that prostate cancer has become England's most common cancer
A man from Peterborough who was diagnosed with prostate cancer is urging people to get tested.
Prostate cancer has become England's most common cancer, according to new analysis.
Diagnoses of the disease overtook breast cancer in 2022 and 2023, Prostate Cancer UK said.
Data also suggests there has been a 25% increase in prostate cancer cases between 2019 and 2023.
If you are the one in eight it could kill you
The charity said this was down to heightened awareness of the disease, leading to more men getting an early diagnosis.
It is diagnosed using a mix of physical exams, scans and tests that measure prostate specific antigen (PSA) in the blood.
NHS guidelines for England say anyone can request a PSA test if they are over the age of 50, while GPs are currently told to use their clinical judgment for men aged under 50 without symptoms who they consider to be at increased risk of prostate cancer.
Men of any age with symptoms can request a test.
Ultimately it could've been terminal and I could've been dead
Matt Biggin, who was diagnosed with the condition after visiting the Prostate Outreach Bus in Peterborough, said:
"If you can't get an appointment straight away, then keep going on until you get it because it could save your life."
"If you are the one in eight it could kill you."
"I didn't prioritise it."
"If I'd left it and left it and left it, it would have spread."
"Ultimately it could've been terminal and I could've been dead."
"That bus saved my life."
"If you get the test and find out early enough, you will get sorted, and it's not going to be that much of a disruption to your life."
If you get the test and find out early enough, you will get sorted
Analysis of NHS data by Prostate Cancer UK found 50,751 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer in England in 2022 compared with 48,531 diagnoses of breast cancer.
The figures increased again in 2023, with 55,033 people receiving a prostate cancer diagnosis compared with 47,526 breast cancer cases.
Chiara De Biase, director of health services, equity and improvement at Prostate Cancer UK, said:
"Unlike other cancers, prostate cancer won't give you symptoms in its crucial early stages when it's easier to treat, so as a charity we can't tell you about tell-tale signs to look out for."
"That's why we do everything we can to make every man aware of his risk of getting the disease and empower him to think about his testing options - so that he has the best chance of getting that all-important earlier diagnosis."
"Because the earlier you find prostate cancer, the easier it is to treat."
Most cases of prostate cancer develop in men aged over 50 and it is most common in black men.
The Prostate Cancer UK figures come after separate analysis by Macmillan suggest 3.4 million people will be living with cancer in the UK by December 2025.
This includes around 890,000 women with breast cancer, 610,000 men with prostate cancer, 390,000 people with bowel cancer and 120,000 with lung cancer.
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