As men get older their prostate gland often enlarges. This is usually
not due to cancer. It is a condition called benign prostatic
hyperplasia (BPH).
BPH does not usually develop into cancer but an enlarged prostate may sometimes contain areas of cancer cells.
The symptoms of growths in the prostate are similar whether they are
non cancerous (benign) or cancerous (malignant). The symptoms include:
• Having to rush to the toilet to pass urine
• Passing urine more often than usual, especially at night
• Difficulty passing urine, including straining to pass it or stopping and starting
• A sense of not being able to completely empty the bladder
Very rarely you may get —
• Pain when passing urine
• Blood in the urine or semen
These are more often a symptom of non cancerous prostate conditions.
Other conditions can also cause many of these same symptoms. For
example, trouble urinating is much more often caused by BPH than cancer.
Still, it is important to tell your doctor if you have any of these
problems so that the cause can be found and treated, if needed.
