Thousands of men who being treated for prostate cancer are missing work or social occasions due to embarrassing side effects, research indicates

Thousands of men treated for prostate cancer are missing work or social occasions due to embarrassing side effects, research suggests.

Four out of five patients suffering urinary incontinence say a lack of public facilities is impacting their daily lives.

Meanwhile, a quarter said the issue had led to them missing work.

Charities warned that many men are being left housebound as a result, causing social exclusion and damaging their mental health.

Peter Jones, from Watford, Hertfordshire, was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2018 and had an operation to remove his prostate the same year.

The former IT manager’s treatment was successful in removing the cancer but left him with incontinence.

 Prostate cancer is the most common male cancer, with more than 52,000 diagnoses and 12,000 deaths ever year

‘My confidence just went through the floor,’ he said, adding: ‘I remember the first time being out in public after I became incontinent and I had to go and change my pad in the toilet of a theatre.

‘There was nowhere for me to put it. In the end I had to put the used pad in a carrier bag and put it under my seat during the second half.

‘Every time I went somewhere it became so difficult in terms of what to do with the pad. In the end I thought, I really don’t want to be doing this and I don’t want to go out anymore. I made excuses not to go anywhere and I got really depressed with it.’

The 76-year-old underwent further surgery, which he says has given him ‘his life back’ but said it should never have been an issue.

He added: ‘You wouldn’t expect a woman to carry her sanitary pads out into the street to find a bin, so why would you think it’s OK for men to do it?’

In the UK, around 52,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year, with around half likely to suffer urinary incontinence.

But few male public toilets – from workplaces to pubs and restaurants – have simple provisions like sanitary bins.

The survey, conducted on behalf of Prostate Cancer UK and hygiene provider PHS Group, revealed seven in ten men had missed seeing friends and family while a third avoided the weekly shop or going to the pub.

Four out of five patients suffering urinary incontinence say a lack of public facilities is impacting their daily lives (stock photo) 

Others reported a toll on family life with 17 per cent said they had opted out of taking children to school while 13 per cent had missed a parents’ evening.

Prostate Cancer UK is campaigning for male sanitary bins to be available in men’s toilets across the UK.

Nick Ridgman, head of support services at Prostate Cancer UK, said: ‘Hundreds of thousands of men in the UK experience incontinence, but they’re left to suffer in silence due to an appalling lack of basic facilities.

‘Incontinence shouldn’t mean that you miss out on enjoying a full life – but so many men are too anxious to leave the house, because they’ve no idea if they will be able to get rid of their used pads in a proper sanitary bin.

‘Two-thirds of men in this new study say their life would improve if incontinence bins and vending machines were provided in men’s loos.’