Construction industry one of most vulnerable to prostate cancer due to high proportion of male workers

[edit] Construction industry one of most vulnerable to prostate cancer due to high proportion of male workers

The Chartered Institute of Building has teamed up with leading men’s health charity and the largest public funder of prostate cancer research, Prostate Cancer UK, to encourage more men working in the construction industry to be aware of their prostate cancer risk, and what they can do about it.

Prostate cancer is now the most common cancer in the UK and one in eight men will be diagnosed with the disease during their lifetime. The risk of developing it increases with age and is double for Black men. Currently more than 80% of the UK’s construction workforce is male, with over a third being over the age of 50, meaning the sector is a key audience when it comes to raising awareness of the key risk factors that can affect men, the free and simple testing men at risk can ask for, and where men dealing with a diagnosis can go for support and advice.

CIOB President, Paul Gandy sadly lost his own father, an uncle and an industry colleague to prostate cancer. He strongly believes the construction sector has a responsibility to its workforce to make them aware of how simple it is to get tested.

He said: “With such a high proportion of built environment workers being male, it makes our sector more vulnerable to prostate cancer than most others so it’s important everyone understands the risks, the symptoms and how to get tested. Health must never be a taboo subject, but in our industry it often is, and this is something we want to overcome by working with Prostate Cancer UK to get the message far and wide. Construction is about building strong foundations that last and looking after our health is part of that work too.”

To help men understand their own risk of the disease, Prostate Cancer UK has created a free and confidential online risk checker that takes just thirty seconds to complete and has been used by over 4 million men to date. It asks a small number of straightforward questions and provides guidance about risk and what to do next. CIOB is encouraging male workers across the construction industry to go online to find out their risk, and what to do next if they are at higher risk.

Gandy added: “If you’re a man working in construction, I would strongly encourage you to use the checker. And for everyone, male and female, who manage teams or work alongside others, encourage them to do the same and ensure there’s flexibility around time off to get tested. Starting a conversation about prostate cancer might be the moment that helps a man discover his risk and take action. Taking just thirty seconds now could change the course of a life, perhaps even your own.”

For those deemed to be at higher risk, the first test for signs of prostate cancer is a blood test called the prostate specific antigen, or PSA, blood test. It’s a safe and effective way of working out if more tests are needed and can be requested for free from a GP of healthcare professional. There is currently no national screening programme for prostate cancer in the UK, unlike some other cancers, so it’s vital men know if they are at higher risk- as a result of being over 50, or being over 45 if they are Black or have a family history of the disease- and proactively speak to their GP about the option of a PSA blood test.

Nick Ridgman, Head of Support Services at Prostate Cancer UK, said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with the Chartered Institute of Building to reach their members with vital information about the most common cancer in men. Prostate cancer is curable if found early, but it’s also the most common cancer without a screening programme, so the responsibility to know your risk and speak to a GP rest entirely on men’s shoulders. That’s why Prostate Cancer UK is leading the way with our £42 million TRANSFORM trial, which will find the safest and most effective way to screen all men in the future.

“But for the here and now, we need men to know their risk, which increases if they’re over 50 and if they’re Black or have a family history of the disease, and chat to their GP about a simple blood test if they are at higher risk. We’ve developed a simple online tool to help, so men can check their risk in 30 seconds by visiting our website or searching “check my risk” today. Through our partnership with the CIOB, we aim to get more men across the building and construction industries a lifesaving early diagnosis.”

[edit] Case Study

Nick Molyneux, a senior manager at construction company Mace, has first-hand experience of the importance of early diagnosis of prostate cancer. He had no symptoms but a routine PSA blood test detected elevated levels of prostate specific antigen, which led to further checks and a biopsy. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer which, thankfully, was found early and considered to be “low grade”.

He said: “It was quite a worrying time. You hear a lot about prostate cancer but you don’t really understand the full nitty gritty of it all. If I didn’t have that blood test, I’d never know, even now. It is really important to get that test, especially if you’re in the higher risk category.”

“It’s so important to put your health first and get yourself checked. It’s a simple blood test and it could save your life.”

[edit] Case study

Peter Rowe has worked in the construction industry for more than 45 years. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Building and was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2025. He said: “I had never really noticed any of the symptoms you will commonly read about, such as problems going to the loo – other than after a night out, for example, which I had simply put down to dehydration.

“However, one weekend my ‘dehydration’ got so bad I had to go to A&E. Over the following weeks, it was confirmed I had an enlarged prostate. After a few weeks of further tests and scans, I was then diagnosed with prostate cancer and given the choice of treatment or surgery.

“Because of the findings of the biopsy, I chose radical surgery, which can require up to a year for full recovery. I now need ongoing PSA blood tests to check no cancerous cells were left behind.

“It is quite clear to me now that had I thought about what was happening to me and found the time to go to my doctor and ask for a PSA test, surgery may have been avoided. So, please take a PSA test for both your sake and the people in your life. It is a simple blood test; it’s not embarrassing and could save your life.”

Access the free online risk checker here

This article appears on the CIOB news and blogsite as "Construction industry one of most vulnerable to prostate cancer due to high proportion of male workers" dated 23 March 2026.

--CIOB

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