A new survey by a UK-based charity revealed that ageing men are at risk of having prostate cancer and they are unaware of it as this malignant malady mostly does not put up any red flags or in simple words cause any common symptoms.

Most men believe that they will come across signs of cancer in its early stages but they are wrong.

Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer in men and affects hundreds of thousands in the world including the US and the UK.

“What’s really worrying is that this misinformation could stop a man from getting the early diagnosis that could save his life,” said Chiara De Biase of Prostate Cancer UK.

“Men’s health can be a minefield. Everyone has gaps in their knowledge and every one of us probably believes something that just isn’t true.”

“Prostate cancer doesn’t usually have any symptoms at all until it’s already spread and become incurable,” said De Biase.

The UK charity polled around 2,000 men across the United Kingdom and found that nearly half were unaware of where the prostate is and three-quarters of men did not know what it does.

Some 53% said they thought they “would be invited for testing by their doctor once they reach an age when they’re more at risk.”

But there is no screening programme on the national level to detect the disease in its early stages.

De Biase said: “Far too few men know the main factors that put them at risk. That’s why we’re asking every man to take our 30-second online risk checker, to help understand their risk, and what they can do about it.”

Prostate cancer mostly affects men over 50 and the risk increases as they age. One in eight men will be diagnosed with it at some point in their lifetimes.