Movember, King Charles and the Prostate: Why Men Shouldn’t Ignore Their Health

A moustache can start a conversation. A conversation can sometimes save a life.

Every November, moustaches begin appearing on faces around Australia and across the world. Some are magnificent. Some are questionable. Some probably deserve their own urological assessment.

But behind the facial hair lies an important message.

Movember is about getting men talking about their health.

What began in Melbourne in 2003 with 30 men growing moustaches has developed into an international men’s health movement focusing particularly on prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health and suicide prevention. Movember reports that it has funded more than 1,320 men’s health projects around the world.

And few recent stories demonstrate the importance of men paying attention to their health better than that of King Charles III.

First, an important clarification: King Charles does NOT have prostate cancer

This point has frequently been confused in media and social-media discussions.

In January 2024, Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles was receiving treatment for an enlarged prostate.

This was benign prostatic enlargement, commonly called benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH. It is extremely common as men get older and is not prostate cancer.

The King underwent a planned hospital procedure for his enlarged prostate.

During this episode of care, however, doctors identified a separate abnormality. Further investigations subsequently diagnosed a form of cancer.

Buckingham Palace specifically confirmed that the King’s cancer was not prostate cancer. The precise type of cancer has remained private.

That distinction matters.

But so does what happened next.

A prostate problem led to something else being discovered

The King’s story provides an interesting lesson for men’s health.

He sought medical attention for a prostate problem.

He underwent investigation and treatment.

During that process, doctors discovered another potentially important medical condition.

In February 2024 Buckingham Palace announced that the King had begun a programme of regular cancer treatments and temporarily reduced his public-facing duties.

By April 2024, following treatment and recuperation, he was able to return to public-facing duties.

The exact cancer treatment has never been publicly disclosed, and it would therefore be inappropriate to speculate whether he has received surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy or another form of treatment.

More recently, the King has continued to speak publicly about his cancer experience. In December 2025 he announced that, following early diagnosis, treatment and adherence to medical advice, his treatment schedule could be reduced in the following year.

In June 2026 he and Queen Camilla hosted a reception marking the 125th anniversary of Cancer Research UK, of which the King has been Patron since 2024.

His message has increasingly centered on a simple theme:

Early diagnosis matters.

The other royal problem: an enlarged prostate

For a urologist, the first part of the King’s story is equally important.

An enlarged prostate is extraordinarily common.

As the prostate enlarges, it can compress the urethra and interfere with the passage of urine.

Men may notice:

• a slower urinary stream
• difficulty starting urination
• stopping and starting
• straining
• feeling that the bladder has not emptied completely
• getting up several times during the night
• urgency or frequency
• occasionally an inability to pass urine at all.

These symptoms do not automatically mean prostate cancer.

Most commonly they are associated with benign prostate enlargement.

But that does not mean they should simply be accepted as part of getting older.

“It’s probably just my prostate”

Possibly.

But that is precisely why it is worth having it checked.

Assessment of urinary symptoms may include a discussion about symptoms and medications, examination, urine testing, kidney function, PSA testing where appropriate, urinary flow measurement, ultrasound assessment of bladder emptying and occasionally further investigations.

The objective is not simply to find prostate cancer.

It is to work out why the urinary system is behaving differently.

What about prostate cancer?

This is where Movember becomes particularly relevant.

Prostate cancer remains the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australian men. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data indicate that prostate cancer accounted for approximately 28% of cancers diagnosed in Australian males in 2024.

AIHW’s updated projections estimate approximately 26,397 prostate cancer diagnoses in Australia during 2026, although it is important to recognise that this is a projection rather than a final observed case count.

Movember estimates that approximately one in five Australian men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime.

And there is another important difference between prostate cancer and benign enlargement:

Early prostate cancer frequently causes no urinary symptoms at all.

Waiting until something hurts or the urine flow deteriorates is therefore not an effective prostate cancer detection strategy.

The PSA conversation

A PSA blood test can help identify men who may require further investigation for prostate cancer.

But PSA is not simply a “cancer test”.

PSA can be elevated for several reasons, including:

• benign prostate enlargement
• prostatitis or inflammation
• urinary infection
• recent instrumentation
• urinary retention
• and prostate cancer.

An abnormal PSA therefore does not automatically mean cancer.

Similarly, decisions about PSA testing should consider a man’s age, family history, previous PSA results, general health and individual risk factors.

The important step is having the conversation with your GP or urologist rather than avoiding the subject altogether.

And if prostate cancer is found?

Modern prostate cancer treatment is no longer a simple choice between “operate” and “do nothing”.

Depending upon the PSA, MRI findings, biopsy grade, tumour volume, stage, age and general health of the patient, options may include:

Active surveillance for suitable low-risk disease.

Robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy for appropriate localised cancers.

Radiation therapy, sometimes combined with hormonal treatment.

Focal therapies in carefully selected patients and specialised settings.

Androgen deprivation and newer androgen-receptor targeted treatments for more advanced disease.

Chemotherapy and radioligand therapies for selected advanced cancers.

The right treatment is increasingly personalised to both the biology of the cancer and the priorities of the man sitting in front of us.

Treatment is not only about surviving cancer

This is another area in which organisations such as Movember have made an important contribution.

Men understandably want their cancer controlled.

But they also care about what happens afterwards.

Will I leak urine?

Will I still have erections?

What happens to ejaculation and orgasm?

Can I continue working?

How will treatment affect my relationship?

Will I still feel like myself?

Movember has invested not only in prostate cancer research but also in projects examining quality of life, urinary function, sexual function and outcomes following treatment. The Prostate Cancer Outcomes Registry Australia and New Zealand, for example, collects patient-reported outcomes including urinary, bowel and sexual function after prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment.

These aren’t embarrassing side issues.

They are part of treating the whole man.

So what does King Charles have to do with Movember?

Quite a lot, despite the fact that he does not have prostate cancer.

His story began with something millions of older men experience:

an enlarged prostate.

Instead of ignoring it, he sought treatment.

That interaction with the healthcare system resulted in another cancer being discovered.

And by publicly announcing his prostate treatment and subsequent cancer diagnosis, the King did something particularly useful for men’s health:

he made it easier to talk about it.

That is essentially what Movember has been trying to achieve for more than two decades.

A moustache is simply the billboard.

The conversation is the important bit.

My Movember message to men

If your urinary stream isn’t what it used to be, get it checked.

If you’re getting up repeatedly during the night, ask why.

If you’re struggling with erections, don’t be embarrassed to mention it.

If you notice a testicular lump, don’t wait.

If prostate cancer runs in your family, discuss your individual risk.

And if you’ve been putting off that conversation about PSA testing, perhaps Movember is a good time to have it.

Men are remarkably good at servicing cars, replacing batteries, checking tyre pressures and investigating strange noises coming from engines.

We are sometimes considerably less enthusiastic when the strange noise is coming from ourselves.

This Movember, grow the moustache if you wish.

But more importantly:

Have the conversation.
Know your prostate.
Know your risk.
And don’t ignore a change in your body simply because it’s embarrassing to talk about.

Your prostate may be small.

Its ability to cause trouble is disproportionately ambitious.

References and further reading

1. The Royal Family. A Statement from Buckingham Palace. 5 February 2024. Buckingham Palace confirmed that a separate cancer was discovered during treatment for benign prostate enlargement.
2. The Royal Family. The King returns to public-facing duties. April 2024.
3. The Royal Family. A message from The King in support of Stand Up To Cancer. December 2025.
4. The Royal Family. The King and Queen host a reception for Cancer Research UK. June 2026.
5. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. The health of men in Australia. Prostate cancer statistics and Australian cancer burden.
6. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Cancer data in Australia: Prostate cancer projection method changes and updated long-term projections. Updated July 2026.
7. Movember. Prostate Cancer: Prostate Cancer Action, Innovation & Collaboration. Australian prostate cancer statistics and research programs.
8. Movember. Our Story. History of the Movember movement from Melbourne in 2003.
9. Movember. Prostate Cancer Outcomes Registry Australia and New Zealand. Patient outcomes and quality-of-life research.

Medical disclaimer

This article provides general information and should not replace individual medical assessment. Urinary symptoms, an abnormal PSA or concerns about prostate cancer should be discussed with your GP or urologist.