You might want to pay extra attention to how often you use the toilet at night. Medical experts are warning that one’s nighttime toilet runs could be a sign of prostate cancer.
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What is Nocturia?
According to the Cleveland Clinic, nocturia -a condition that causes you to urinate frequently at night - could be a sign of an aggressive cancer.
Studies have shown that severe nocturia is present in 25 per cent of prostate cancer cases as a side effect of radiation treatment.
Medics say this condition could also be because of a growing tumour, pushing up against the urethra. The Cleveland Clinic says:
This can be thought of as nocturnal urinary frequency - having to urinate more often at night.
Experts say nocturia usually occurs in the late stages of the cancer, warranting immediate treatments once detected.
This type of cancer is typically difficult to detect in its early stages, as it does not exhibit obvious symptoms. According to the NHS:
Prostate cancer does not usually cause any symptoms until the cancer has grown large enough to put pressure on the tube that carries urine from the bladder out of the penis. Symptoms of prostate cancer can include needing to pee more frequently, often during the night.
Drop in Cancer Screening
Medical professionals have raised concerns over the decline in cancer screening during the COVID-19 pandemic. They worry that late detection could impact survival rates for people who have cancer.
Doctor Bradley McGregor, an oncologist with the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, says, having a healthier dietary lifestyle could slow the spread of the cancer. He said:
The same dietary habits that can lower your risk of prostate cancer can have a similar effect to perhaps slowing its spread. So, no matter where you are in terms of prostate cancer - from monitoring PSA levels to treating a diagnosis - take the opportunity now to get serious about your diet.
Prostate Cancer UK advises that if you are aged 50 or over, your father or brother has had the disease, or you are black, you should speak to your GP.
Prostate cancer is the second-most common form of disease among men after skin cancer
