India projected to see over 47,000 prostate cancer cases; doctors say urinary symptoms should not be the only trigger for seeking medical advice
Hyderabad, September 10: Prostate cancer may develop without noticeable symptoms in its early stages, making age, family history and individual risk important factors for men, particularly those over 50, doctors have cautioned during Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.
According to CARE Hospitals specialists, one of the common misconceptions around prostate cancer is that the disease will always present with urinary problems. In reality, early prostate cancer can remain silent, and waiting for symptoms could delay medical evaluation.
The latest global estimates have also renewed attention on the disease. An August 2026 update from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the cancer agency of the World Health Organization, reported more than 1.5 million prostate cancer cases worldwide in 2024, accounting for nearly 8% of the global cancer burden. It is the second most commonly occurring cancer among men globally.
In India, projections from the Indian Council of Medical Research–National Cancer Registry Programme (ICMR-NCRP) indicated that prostate cancer cases could increase from 41,532 in 2020 to 47,068 in 2025, representing a rise of more than 13% in five years.
Dr. P. Vamsi Krishna, Clinical Director, Senior Consultant and Head – Urology, Robotic, Laparoscopy & Endourology Surgeon, CARE Hospitals, said age remains one of the most significant risk factors.
“Early prostate cancer may cause no symptoms at all. The risk increases with age, particularly after 50, and family history can further increase an individual’s risk. Men should not wait for symptoms to become troublesome before discussing prostate health with their doctor,” he said.
Doctors said persistent urinary changes such as difficulty starting urination, a weak or interrupted urine stream, frequent urination particularly at night, difficulty emptying the bladder, pain or burning during urination, or blood in the urine or semen should be medically evaluated.
However, such symptoms do not necessarily indicate cancer. Benign enlargement of the prostate, infections and other conditions can cause similar problems, particularly among older men.
A Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test may be considered by doctors as part of prostate health assessment. An elevated PSA level alone does not confirm cancer, as levels can also increase due to benign prostate enlargement, inflammation and other conditions. Doctors therefore interpret PSA results alongside age, clinical findings, family history and other risk factors.
Dr. Ajay Chanakya Vallabhaneni, Senior Surgical Oncologist and Robotic Surgeon, CARE Cancer Institute, CARE Hospitals, said treatment depends on the nature and stage of the disease.
“Some prostate cancers grow slowly and selected patients may be managed through active surveillance, while clinically significant or aggressive cancers may require surgery, radiation therapy, hormone therapy or other systemic treatments,” he said.
“When clinically significant prostate cancer is identified before it has spread, we generally have a broader range of treatment options. The objective is timely and accurate diagnosis followed by treatment tailored to the patient and the biology of the cancer,” he added.
Doctors stressed that prostate cancer awareness should not lead to fear or indiscriminate testing. Instead, men should understand their personal risk and discuss with their doctor whether and when prostate evaluation may be appropriate.
With India’s population ageing and the burden of prostate cancer increasing, specialists say prostate health needs to become a more routine part of men’s health conversations.
The message for men over 50 is simple: feeling healthy or having no urinary symptoms does not necessarily rule out early prostate cancer. Knowing individual risk and seeking appropriate medical advice can help ensure timely evaluation.