Potential pitfall: Jaundice can be a classic symptom of pancreatic cancer; about half of patients have jaundice when they first go to their GP. Yet, pancreatic cancer is difficult to diagnose as symptoms can vary or may be late, vague and non-specific. Helpful hint:...
Tuesday 15th September 2020 It’s World Lymphoma Awareness Day. Why not increase your knowledge and complete our free online Lymphoma – Early Diagnosis course supported by Lymphoma Action? Lymphoma has many non-site specific symptoms and patients can often visit...
Potential pitfall: Jaundice can be a classic symptom of pancreatic cancer; about half of patients have jaundice when they first go to their GP. Yet, pancreatic cancer is difficult to diagnose as symptoms can vary or may be late, vague and non-specific. Helpful hint:...
Potential pitfall: Faecal calprotectin testing is an incredibly sensitive investigation for detecting the presence of inflammation. It is raised in a wide variety of conditions including malignancy, inflammatory bowel disease and alcohol misuse. It is therefore not...
Family history can play a helpful role within a potential prostate cancer diagnosis, when symptoms alone can be vague.
Some of the early symptoms of prostate cancer could be associated with a less serious condition, such as a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)
A man is two and a half times more likely to get prostate cancer if he has a first-degree relative who has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. The risk is higher if a relative was diagnosed under the age of 60 or if he has more than one relative with prostate cancer. Furthermore, prostate cancer risk is 19-24% higher in men whose mother has/had breast cancer.
Therefore, it is very important to ask a patient presenting with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) about their family history of prostate or breast cancer. In addition, NICE advised to suspect prostate cancer in men who have LUTS, such as frequency, urgency, hesitancy, terminal dribbling and/or overactive bladder.
Visit GatewayC’s Symptomatic prostate cancer course here.