MEN have been encouraged to know the signs and symptoms of prostate cancer.

March is prostate cancer awareness month which highlights the most common cancer in men.

More than 47,000 men in the UK are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year and Macmillan Cancer Support have aimed to raise awareness of this.

Sue Green, senior information development nurse at Macmillan, said: “Knowing what changes to look for and when to see your doctor could make a real difference.

"You are not wasting your doctor’s time by getting your symptoms checked.

"The earlier prostate cancer is found, the more likely it is to be successfully treated.”

Men are advised to see their doctor if they have symptoms including difficult passing urine and taking a long time and blood in the urine and semen.

Other symptoms include needing to rush to the toilet to pass urine and passing urine more frequently than usual, especially at night.

Men aged over 50 or who have a father or brother who has had prostate cancer are more at risk.

Black men also have a higher risk of developing prostate cancer than white men.