What is an enlarged prostate?
Prostate enlargement is an extremely common condition and occurs as men increase in age. In the vast majority of cases, it is caused by a non-cancerous process known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
What symptoms does an enlarged prostate cause?
An enlarged prostate can ‘pinch’ the urethra at the bottom of the bladder, resulting in bothersome symptoms associated with emptying the bladder. Symptoms vary but usually include the need to pass urine very frequently during the day and night (disturbing sleep), and difficulty in passing urine completely (resulting in a sensation of incomplete bladder emptying).
Can an enlarged prostate be due to cancer?
In the vast majority of cases, an enlarged prostate is only due to benign prostatic hyperplasia (which is NOT cancer). However, there are a variety of tests (including physical examination, blood tests and scans) which can be performed to exclude the presence of cancer before any treatment is carried out.
If I have symptoms due to an enlarged prostate, what are my treatment options?
There are a wide variety of treatment options available for BPH – all vary in invasiveness and each have their own advantages and disadvantages.
- Medical treatment with lifestyle modifications and medication are usually the first line, especially for those with milder symptoms.
- Surgical options are numerous, ranging from relatively less invasive treatments such as Urolift and aquablation, to transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) and open/laparoscopic prostatectomy on the other end of the spectrum.
- Prostate artery embolization (PAE) is an internationally, well-established, minimally invasive procedure used to shrink the enlarged prostate by blocking its blood supply, thereby improving urinary symptoms.