Common symptoms

Frequent need to urinate Poor urinary stream Urgent need to urinate Hesitancy whilst urinating Lower back pain

In the past, many men whose cancer is restricted only to the prostate gland itself have not been given active treatment.

Instead they have been placed on a 'watchful waiting' programme, whereby they are simply monitored for the development of symptoms.

This is because active treatment might end up doing more harm than the disease itself, if the cancer is a slow-growing one.

But watchful waiting can be a worrying time for patients - who know they have cancer, but do not have the comfort of knowing they are having treatment to curb it.

Reduces testosterone

Mr David Gillatt, consultant urologist at Southmead Hospital in Bristol said: "Many of the patients we diagnose with prostate cancer want to see their cancer being actively treated on diagnosis rather than waiting until it progresses.

"This means that we can now offer appropriate patients a new treatment option with a view to slowing the progress of the disease."

The trial, which has involved 8,000 men, showed that patients taking bicalutamide, in addition to standard care (surgery, radiotherapy or watchful waiting) had a 42% lower risk of the cancer progressing.

Bicalutamide works by blocking the action of the hormone testosterone on the prostate gland - this body chemical may in some cases actually encourage tumour cell growth.

Its main side effects are mild to moderate breast swelling and pain.

Vigilance urged

Nearly 21,000 men are newly diagnosed with prostate cancer in the UK each year and more than 10,000 die as a result of the disease.

New research from the Cancer Research Campaign predicts that prostate malignancy will become the most common cause of cancer-related death by 2020 because of the rapidly ageing population.

Men are urged to be vigilant for the signs of the disease and come forward if they feel they may have prostate-related problems.