A SOUTH Cumbria GP has urged readers to look out for one of the most common forms of cancer impacting men.

The medic's comments on prostate cancer coincide with Urology Awareness Month, a month-long campaign aims to raise awareness of urological disease as well as to raise money in order to fund vital research and training related to such diseases.

In the UK, about 1 in 8 men will get prostate cancer in their lifetime.

Around 400,000 men are thought to be living with and after prostate cancer, while 47,500 men are diagnosed with the condition annually (129 per day).

Commenting on the condition, Dr Jim Hacking, south Cumbria GP and GP Executive Lead for Mental Health and Urgent Care at Morecambe Bay Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “The prostate is a small gland in the pelvis, found only in men and the chances of developing prostate cancer increases as you get older, so most cases develop in men when they are aged 50 or above.

“Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer for men in the UK. Usually it’s slow growing so you might not get any symptoms for a number of years. Symptoms usually appear when the prostate is large enough to affect the tube that carries urine from the bladder out of the penis (urethra).

"The early symptoms of prostate cancer are very similar to benign prostate enlargement which is very common. These symptoms are an increased need to pee, getting up more in the night to pee, poor urinary stream and sometimes dribbling. Later symptoms may include pain, weight loss and being generally unwell.

“The main initial way to differentiate between prostate cancer and benign prostate enlargement is with a blood test. If you are concerned that you may have these symptoms contact your GP practice for further advice.”