Prostate CANCER Check Manchester

The Doctor Clinics – Private GP Services in Manchester

At The Doctor Clinics, we make it simple to access expert medical care quickly and discreetly. Our services include same-day private GP appointments in Manchester, secure online video consultations, home visits, and in-clinic consultations at our Prestwich practice.

Our experienced doctors provide safe and personalised care, whether you need fast access to private treatment, support with ADHD assessments and treatment, or help with a wide range of health concerns.

With flexible appointment options, you can choose what works best for you – the convenience of a same-day video consultation, the reassurance of seeing a doctor in person, or the comfort of a home visit.

All doctors at The Doctor Clinics are fully GMC-registered GPs with extensive experience in private healthcare. Our team provides expert medical care through online GP video consultations, in-clinic appointments, and private home visits, ensuring safe and personalised treatment tailored to your needs.

In the UK, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all age to start, but there are clear clinical milestones. If you are over 50, you have the right to request a PSA blood test from your GP, even if you don’t have symptoms. However, if you are Black or have a family history (a father or brother who has had it), your risk is higher, and health experts strongly recommend discussing a check-up from age 45.

It is also important to remember that early-stage prostate cancer rarely has symptoms. You shouldn’t wait for “signs” like trouble urinating to get checked. If you have a known genetic link, such as the BRCA2 gene, guidelines suggest starting annual screenings as early as age 40. Ultimately, the best time to get checked is when you reach these age brackets or if you have any concerns about your individual risk.

Getting tested for prostate cancer isn’t a single “pass or fail” test; it’s a process of gathering information. It usually starts with a conversation with your doctor about your risk factors, like age or family history. From there, the most common first step is a PSA blood test, which looks for a specific protein produced by the prostate.

Because blood tests don’t tell the whole story, doctors often perform a digital rectal examination (DRE) to feel for any physical irregularities or hard spots on the gland. If these initial results raise a red flag, the next step is typically an MRI scan to get a detailed image of the prostate. Only if the scan shows something suspicious will a doctor recommend a biopsy, which is the only way to definitively confirm if cancer cells are present.

While an enlarged prostate (Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia) isn’t cancer, the symptoms often overlap because both conditions put pressure on the urethra. The warning signs usually involve changes in how you go to the toilet:

• A weak or interrupted flow: Finding that your urine stream is much slower than it used to be, or it starts and stops despite your best efforts.

   

• Urgency and frequency: Feeling a sudden, desperate need to go, or needing to urinate much more often—especially waking up several times during the night (nocturia).

   

• Difficulty starting: Standing at the toilet for a while before the urine actually starts to flow, often involving straining.

   

• Incomplete emptying: That nagging sensation that your bladder isn’t actually empty, even immediately after you’ve finished.

   

• Dribbling: Dealing with “terminal dribbling,” where urine continues to leak out after you think you’re done.

While prostate cancer is rare in men under 50, the risk increases significantly as you get older. In the UK, the most common age group for diagnosis is men between 70 and 74 years old, with the majority of cases found in those aged 65 and over.

However, “average” doesn’t mean “only,” and the starting point for awareness is much earlier. Because the disease develops slowly over many years, health professionals focus on the age of 50 as the key time to start regular screening, or 45 if you are at higher risk due to ethnicity or family history.

It is a common misconception that prostate cancer always has obvious “warning signs.” In reality, early-stage prostate cancer usually has no symptoms at all, which is why screening is so vital. However, if the cancer grows large enough to press against the urethra or spreads beyond the prostate, you might notice these seven signs:

• Changes in urination: This includes needing to go more frequently (especially at night), a weak or slow flow, or a sudden urgency to reach the toilet.

• Difficulty starting or straining: Feeling like you have to “push” to begin urinating or finding that the flow starts and stops.

   

• Incomplete emptying: A persistent feeling that your bladder isn’t quite empty even after you’ve finished.

• Blood in the urine or semen: Known as hematuria or hematospermia, this should always be checked by a doctor immediately.

   

• Pain during urination or ejaculation: While less common and often linked to infection, persistent discomfort in these areas can be a red flag.

• Unexplained pain in the back, hips, or pelvis: If the cancer spreads to the bones, it can cause a dull, deep ache in the lower body that doesn’t go away with rest.

   

• Unintentional weight loss: Significant, unexplained weight loss can sometimes be a sign of advanced cancer.

The truth is, you can’t really “feel” if your prostate is okay on your own. Because it sits deep inside the pelvis, there’s no self-exam like there is for skin or testicular cancer. You might feel perfectly fine and have no bathroom issues at all, but that doesn’t necessarily mean your prostate is healthy—early-stage cancer is famously “silent.“

To truly know where you stand, you need a professional assessment. This involves looking at three things: your symptoms (or lack thereof), your PSA levels via a blood test, and a physical check (DRE) by a doctor. If your PSA is low for your age, your physical exam is normal, and you aren’t experiencing any sudden changes in urination, that’s the best evidence you have that your prostate is in good shape.

The answer depends entirely on when the cancer is caught. If prostate cancer is detected early (Stage 1 or 2) while it is still contained within the prostate, it is considered highly curable. In fact, in the UK, almost 100% of men diagnosed at these early stages will survive their cancer for five years or more.

However, the medical community often uses the word “remission” or “manageable” rather than “cured.” This is because microscopic cells can sometimes remain after treatment, meaning there is always a small risk of the cancer returning years later. If the cancer has already spread to other parts of the body (Stage 4), it is usually no longer possible to cure it completely. In these cases, the focus shifts to highly effective treatments that can keep the cancer under control for many years, allowing men to live a full and active life.

When it comes to prostate health, what you drink is often just as important as what you eat. While no single drink causes cancer, certain liquids can aggravate an enlarged prostate or irritate the bladder, making urinary symptoms much worse.

• Alcohol: It’s a diuretic and an irritant. It causes the body to produce more urine and can cause the bladder muscles to relax at the wrong time, leading to more frequent trips to the bathroom and increased urgency.

• Caffeine (Coffee and Tea): Like alcohol, caffeine is a major bladder irritant. If you already have a weak flow or a frequent need to go, caffeine can act like “fuel on the fire,” increasing the pressure and the frequency of urination.

• Sugary Fizzy Drinks: High sugar intake is linked to inflammation throughout the body. Many sodas also contain caffeine and artificial sweeteners, both of which can bother the bladder lining and worsen the symptoms of an enlarged prostate.

• Excessive Fluids at Night: While not a specific “type” of drink, consuming large amounts of any liquid in the two hours before bed is generally a bad idea for prostate health, as it leads to interrupted sleep and multiple nighttime bathroom trips.

For patients’ convenience, we accept various payment methods, including credit cards, debit cards, and online payments. You are also able to pay via free payment plans.