If you have early prostate cancer (the cancer has not grown much or spread to other parts of your body), then you probably won't have any symptoms.

You are more likely to get symptoms if your cancer grows or spreads. But many prostate cancers grow very slowly. If you are older, you may never have any symptoms or problems from the disease.

Here are some of the most common symptoms that men experience as their cancer gets worse. Please bear in mind that if you have any of these symptoms, it does not mean you have cancer. But it is a good idea to see your GP.

Problems urinating

You may find you have an urgent need to urinate or that you need to go very often, especially at night. You may also find it difficult to start urinating and to control the flow of your urine. It may dribble out, and stop and start. When you do go, it can be painful and you may feel a burning sensation. Some men also find blood in their urine when they first start to urinate.

These problems happen because the growing tumour can press on the urethra, the tube that carries the urine out through your penis. This makes it difficult for urine to flow through it. The symptoms can also occur because the cancer has spread into the ring of muscle in the neck (opening) of the bladder.

However, if you have problems urinating, it does not necessarily mean you have cancer. This symptom can also be caused by your prostate getting larger as you get older. This condition is called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). 'Benign' means non-cancerous, and 'hyperplasia' is an increase in the number of normal cells. BPH is not dangerous or life-threatening, but an enlarged prostate can be uncomfortable. To learn more, see Prostate, enlarged.

Problems passing urine may also be a sign of an infection in your urinary tract (the parts of your body that produce and remove urine). Men with urinary problems are no more likely than men without urinary problems to have early prostate cancer.

Painful orgasms

You may feel pain when you have an orgasm for the same reason that you may have problems urinating: the tumour in your prostate may be pressing on the urethra, the tube that carries urine and semen out through your penis. As the tumour grows, it can block the opening of the urethra.

Pain or stiffness in your lower back, hips or the bones in your thighs

When prostate cancer spreads (a process called metastasis), it tends to travel to the nearby bones, and this can be very painful. You may ache and feel very stiff. If the cancer has spread to your spine, your legs may tingle and swell, making it difficult to get up and walk around comfortably. Sometimes the bones can become weak and break, even if you have not had a fall.^[10]

Normally your bones stay healthy as old bone is broken down and new bone replaces it. Cancer cells can upset this cycle, so the bones become weak and tend to break more easily.