Prostate cancer Resources

What most people are looking for when they visit their general practice is certainty. They might want to know the exact cause of their chronic pain, or precisely how long it might take for statins to bring down their cholesterol levels, or any number of other questions

Early prostate cancer does not usually have any symptoms. So, when discussing with men the pros and cons of having a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, it is important to consider the risk factors.

During the pandemic, urgent referrals for suspected urological cancer in England dropped by 56,000 from April 2020 to December 2021, resulting in approximately 13,500 fewer men in England starting treatment for prostate cancer compared to the same period in 2019
(Prostate Cancer UK, 2021). This is worrying considering prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK (Prostate Cancer UK, 2021).

Eighty percent of men diagnosed with prostate cancer will end up with erectile dysfunction after treatment (Downing et al, 2019). Yet, talking about sex, treating erectile dysfunction, and meeting the man’s needs after treatment is often lower down on the healthcare professional’s agenda. Prostate Cancer UK found that sex and erectile dysfunction is the biggest unmet need for men with prostate cancer.

Why is that? Is it because we just want to focus on managing the prostate cancer? Are the urinary problems easier to prepare a patient for and treat? Do we find it difficult to talk about sex? Do we make assumptions that because a man is over a certain age, he won’t be having sex, so we don’t need to talk about it? Do we feel that if we ask how the erections are, we might be opening a can of worms and we just don’t have time in clinic? Do we have our own hang ups about sex, prejudices or cultural beliefs that stop us being able to talk openly about sex?

Prostate Cancer UK believes that general practice nurses (GPNs) are ideally placed to recognise men at higher risk of prostate cancer. GPNs can help ensure that prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing is delivered to best effect and offer men the opportunity to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the test.

Many men with prostate cancer do not experience symptoms until the disease has spread. This means that they risk being diagnosed too late, when the cancer is incurable. With your help, asymptomatic men with prostate cancer could be recognised earlier and their lives could be saved. Prostate Cancer UK believes general practice nurses (GPNs) are in a unique position, as they are ideally placed to recognise men at higher risk of prostate cancer and help ensure that prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing is delivered to best effect.

The impact of COVID-19 has been felt across the UK and continues to be so, even with lockdown measures lifted in many parts of the country. As a specialist nurse at Prostate Cancer UK, we provide information and support to thousands of men living with and concerned about prostate cancer. We have heard many stories of the amazing measures that have been put in place by healthcare professionals to ensure appropriate access to treatment has continued, and we have also been hearing about the difficult decisions men and their medical teams have had to make around changes or delays to treatment by weighing up the risk of Covid-19 infection and the risk of their disease progression.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in men in the United Kingdom (Cancer Research UK [CRUK], 2016). In 2013, there were 47,300 men diagnosed with prostate cancer. This amounts to 13% of all new cancers diagnosed in men. Furthermore, prostate cancer incidence has increased by 5% over the last ten years (CRUK, 2016). In 2014 there were 11,287 deaths due to prostate cancer, however 84% of men diagnosed with prostate cancer will survive 10 years or more (CRUK, 2016). This paper gives an overview of prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment and the role of general practice nurses (GPNs) in the care of men suspected of having prostate cancer and following treatment.