Prostate cancer is different in different men. Sometimes the cancer stays in the prostate gland and has little or no effect on how a man feels or how long he lives. Some men with prostate cancer have no symptoms - in other words, it is possible to have prostate cancer without the prostate being enlarged, without urinary problems, and without pain. About seven out of every 10 men diagnosed with prostate cancer will die from other causes such as heart disease, stroke or old age. Although they may not die from prostate cancer, some of these men may develop symptoms of the disease before they die of other causes.
Prostate cancer can also be serious and fatal.
Sometimes the cancer spreads beyond the gland into the bones, causing bone pain and other symptoms. About three out of every 10 men diagnosed with prostate cancer will die from the disease. We don't know how much other factors such as diets low in fibre or high in fat, or low levels of physical activity, make men more likely to develop prostate cancer. The older you are, the more likely you are to develop prostate cancer. This means that if men at about the age of 50 were to have a bit of their prostate gland examined under a microscope, about 30 of every 100 men would be found to have prostate cancer.