King Charles returns to royal duties following his cancer treatment. Here's what to know about his health journey.

King Charles III is back at work. On Tuesday, the 75-year-old British monarch made his first royal public engagement since announcing in February that he’d been diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer. As Good Morning America reports, the king was joined by his wife, Queen Camilla, as they paid a visit to the University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre in London, meeting with staff as well as patients.

Last Friday, palace officials announced that Charles would “shortly return to public-facing duties after a period of treatment and recuperation following his recent cancer diagnosis.” The announcement, which was accompanied on social media by a portrait of the king and queen taking a stroll, also noted that Charles has a number of royal engagements on his schedule in the coming weeks.

May 6 will mark the first anniversary since Charles’s coronation, Ahead of that milestone, the royal statement noted that “Their Majesties remain deeply grateful for the many kindnesses and good wishes they have received from around the world throughout the joys and challenges of the past year.”

The king’s cancer diagnosis came just weeks before daughter-in-law Kate Middleton went public with her own diagnosis and preventative chemotherapy treatment plans. Here’s what else to know about his health journey.

When was King Charles diagnosed with cancer?

Buckingham Palace revealed on Feb. 5 that the king had been diagnosed with a form of cancer, though royal officials didn’t name what type of cancer the monarch has. The cancer was detected during a procedure in late January for an enlarged prostate, which the palace statement referred to as a “separate issue of concern,” indicating that the king does not have prostate cancer. “Subsequent diagnostic tests” confirmed the cancer, according to the statement.

On the advice of his doctors, Charles took a break from his public-facing duties to undergo a schedule of regular treatment. The announcement added that he had opted to share his diagnosis to prevent the kind of speculation that surrounded his daughter-in-law Kate Middleton during her recent hospitalization for abdominal surgery (and subsequent cancer diagnosis), and to “assist public understanding for all those around the world who are affected by cancer.”

Charles’s recent health issues have already aroused public interest. After he entered the London Clinic in late January for a procedure to treat his enlarged prostate, a palace statement noted the surge in online searches around prostate care following his health announcement, and acknowledged his pleasure at “having a positive impact on public health awareness.”

While few details about Charles’s cancer have been made public, the enlarged prostate for which he was recently treated is a common condition facing men. Here’s everything you need to know.

What is a prostate? What problems can it cause?

The prostate is part of the male reproductive system. It is a small, walnut-sized gland located below the bladder and in front of the rectum. Its main function is to produce a fluid that, along with sperm cells from the testicles and fluids from other glands, makes up semen.

Yet while the prostate has an important role, Dr. Mitchell R. Humphreys, the chair of the department of urology at the Mayo Clinic, tells Yahoo Life that, outside of reproduction, the gland "only causes challenges." The two main difficulties are prostate cancer, which is the most common cancer for men, and prostate enlargement, the latter of which King Charles is currently dealing with. By age 60, nearly half of all men will have the condition known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and that number jumps to 90% by age 85, per Harvard Health Publishing.

What issues can an enlarged prostate cause?

Though the primary function of the prostate is related to reproduction, its position can impact the urinary system. As men age, the prostate continues to grow, which can potentially squeeze the urethra. This leads to symptoms such as:

• Difficulty starting or stopping urination

• A weak stream

• The need to urinate more frequently

• Getting up often in the middle of the night to use the bathroom

• "Dribbling" at the end of urinating

• Incomplete emptying of the bladder

According to Humphreys, BPH becomes a problem when the prostate becomes so enlarged that it blocks the urine completely so you can’t pee, or you develop stones or an infection in the bladder. Not urinating properly is also bad news for your kidneys, which are responsible for filtering waste and excess fluids from the blood to create urine. If urine doesn't flow properly, the kidneys may struggle to perform this essential function, resulting in damage to the organ. The prostate may also bleed when it becomes enlarged, says Humphreys.

Humphreys notes that it's important to recognize the symptoms of an enlarged prostate before it gets to be too late. While the bladder will initially get stronger to overcome the obstruction caused by an enlarged prostate, at some point, he warns, it "is going to give up" and "won't be able to squeeze the urine past the obstruction of the prostate." That's when medical intervention is needed to alleviate or remove that prostate obstruction.

How do you treat an enlarged prostate?

Humphreys says there are two major ways to address an enlarged prostate. The first is through medication, which he says is generally well tolerated but doesn’t always solve the problem.

Oftentimes, surgical intervention is necessary. Historically, Humphreys says patients would undergo a transurethral resection of the prostate, called a TURP, but advancements in laser technologies have made things like holmium laser prostate surgery, also known as holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP), more popular. HoLEP involves the use of a laser to precisely remove excess prostate tissue. It's popular, Humphreys says, because it is minimally invasive.

"Most of our patients go home the same day as surgery, and they're back to their normal activity in two weeks, as well as having minimal risk of blood loss," he explains. "Men do very well with that particular surgery."

Having an enlarged prostate is a common situation, especially for older men. However, it's important to understand what may be happening, in order to avoid any complications.

"A lot of times men think that as they get older, they just pee worse because it's a normal part of aging," Humphreys explains. "Men need to have some awareness that these symptoms may be related to BPH, and have it checked out."

This article was originally published on Jan. 17, 2024 and has been updated.