As Bill Turnbull reveals he’s battling incurable prostate cancer – we reveal 6 red flag signs every man must watch out for
IT'S the most common cancer to affect British blokes, but do you know the signs of prostate cancer?
Breakfast TV favourite Bill Turnbill has revealed he's battling incurable prostate cancer.
It makes the ex-host one of the 40,000 men diagnosed each year in the UK, with the third deadliest cancer.
Doctors told the dad-of-three his cancer has already spread to his ribs, hips, pelvis and leg.
Bill visited his GP after a change in his "pee pattern" and a year of dull pain. But the 62-year-old now admits he wishes he had acted quicker - as he urges men not to ignore the symptoms.
He admitted: "I'm cross with myself. Maybe if I'd got it earlier and stopped it at the prostate, I'd be in a much better state."
Bill's shock revelation comes after TV veteran Stephen Fry told how he was diagnosed with the disease two months ago.
The disease can prove so dangerous because the signs and symptoms can go unnoticed for months.
For many men, by the time the cancer is detected it is too late.
Prostate cancer is responsible for more than 10,000 deaths each year and Prostate Cancer UK warned that number is expected to rise to 15,000 by 2026.
What are the red-flag signs to watch out for?
In many cases, prostate cancer does not have any symptoms until the tumour is big enough to put pressure on the urethra.
Some men may experience:
- Needing to urinate more often, especially at night
- Needing to rush to the toilet
- Difficulty in starting to pee
- Weak flow
- Straining and taking a long time while peeing
- Feeling that your bladder hasn't emptied fully
What IS the prostate?
The prostate is a small gland in the pelvis, which only men have.
It can be between the size of a walnut or satsuma and runs between the penis and the bladder, and around the urethra.
When the cells in the prostate start to grow in an uncontrolled way it leads to cancer.
Are you at risk? What causes the disease?
Recent research suggests obesity increases your risk of prostate cancer, while exercising regularly lowers it.
And you height could also increase your risk as a recent study found tall blokes are nearly 50 per cent more likely to die of the disease.
Oxford University scientists found taller blokes were at no greater risk of getting the disease.
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But for every extra four inches of height, a man was 21 per cent more likely to have an aggressive tumour and 17 per cent to die of it.
A high-calcium diet is also thought to increase your risk, while eating cooked tomatoes and Brazil nuts could lower it, but more research is needed into the effect of diet.
And research conducted in Australia suggests drinking just two pints of beer-a-day increases man's risk by a QUARTER.
But it's not all bad news, a recent study showed that 21 orgasms a month could cut your risk of developing the disease.