Most common male Big C kills 11,000 a year

PROSTATE cancer is the most common form of cancer in British men and claims around 11,000 lives every year.

There are about 130 new diagnoses a day – around 46,700 a year – and the figure has been steadily increasing for the last 10 years.

It is more common in Caribbean and African men than in white males. Half of those diagnosed are 70 and over. The prostate is a gland at the base of the bladder and its main function is to secrete prostate fluid, one of the components of semen. It is the size of a walnut but grows as men age.

It produces a protein called prostate specific antigen. A blood test can measure the level of PSA and that is how Stephen Fry’s cancer was detected.

Rebecca Porta, from health charity Orchid Male Cancer, said: “We are grateful to Stephen Fry for being so open and candid with his announcement.

“We need to break down the barriers that prevent men from talking about and seeking help for prostate cancer.

“Men are much less likely than women to visit their GP and there is limited evidence to suggest that men’s attitudes are changing.”