Prostate cancer is now the most commonly diagnosed cancer of men.

The prostate is a small, walnut-sized gland situated near the bladder in men – it produces one component of semen. {{more}}

There were 24,700 new cases of prostate cancer diagnosed in the UK in 1999.

If prostate cancer is caught at a time when it is confined to the prostate, generally it can be cured by radiotherapy and surgery

If found early, while still confined to the gland itself, chances of survival are excellent, and modern surgical techniques, combined with drugs such as Viagra, mean that life-saving operations don’t have to mean the end of sex lives.

Professor Alan Horwich said: “There are a broad range of prostate cancers, some of which are extremely gentle and indolent, which may not cause any significant ill health.

Professor Horwich, is based at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London and the Institute of Cancer Research, UK.

“Others have the ability to spread to other parts of the body and cause damage there.”

He added: “If prostate cancer is caught at a time when it is confined to the prostate, generally it can be cured by radiotherapy and surgery.”

• Next Week: Symptoms of Prostate Cancer.