Prostate cancer wasn't on Ben Jenkins' radar when he was unexpectedly diagnosed with an aggressive form of the condition at age 36.

His GP suggested a prostate specific antigen test to get a baseline result against checks in the future but it came back with a red flag.

Mr Jenkins' treatment was successful and he says there's no telling what would have happened if he hadn't agreed to that test 15 years ago.

"I do feel like I'm lucky and that my intuition served me well to go and get that test because in the end I feel like it spared me a lot of grief," he told AAP.

He's among the growing number of younger men diagnosed with the condition, with rates jumping from 4.9 cases per 100,000 people to 12.5 cases in the past 25 years, according to Australian Institute of Health and Welfare dat

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