Rise in Prostate Cancer diagnoses in Wiltshire
It's surpassed breast cancer as England's most common cancer type
Prostate cancer has overtaken breast cancer as England's most common cancer, according to the Prostate Cancer UK charity.
NHS figures reveal that 191 per 100,000 people in Wiltshire are diagnosed with the disease every year.
Prostate Cancer UK say outdated guidance on checking for the illness is leading to more people being diagnosed later.
Chiara De Biase, director of health services, equity and improvement at Prostate Cancer UK, said: "Unlike other cancers, prostate cancer won't give you symptoms in its crucial early stages when it's easier to treat, so as a charity we can't tell you about tell-tale signs to look out for.
"That's why we do everything we can to make every man aware of his risk of getting the disease and empower him to think about his testing options - so that he has the best chance of getting that all-important earlier diagnosis.
"Because the earlier you find prostate cancer, the easier it is to treat."
The illness is most common in black men, with most cases developing in men over 50.
Amy Rylance from the charity says an increase in diagnoses isn't entirely a bad thing.
She said: "In some ways this latest data is good news, because it shows us the awareness activities over the last couple of years have really worked. We have thousands of men getting the treatment that they need."
Amy told Greatest Hits Radio that improved testing is helping people get their diagnosis earlier.
"We know that people worry about outdated practices where people had to have a physical exam, but the best test for Prostate Cancer is a simple blood test. That will tell you and your doctor whether you would benefit from having further tests," she said.
Prostate Cancer UK is urging people to support its call to "overhaul outdated NHS guidelines".
A letter to Health Secretary Wes Streeting, dated January 9, said: "Too many black men are dying from a curable disease, and you have the power to make changes that could save hundreds of lives every year."
It added: "We're calling on the Government to overhaul outdated NHS guidelines so that doctors can start conversations with black men about their risk from 45-years-old, and talk about the option of a quick and easy blood test to check for possible signs of prostate cancer."
In November, Mr Streeting said he had asked the NHS "to look at the case for lowering the screening age on prostate cancer" in light of Sir Chris Hoy's call for men with a family history of the disease to get checked.