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The free PSA (prostate specific antigen) test is available for people ages 50 to 75. men or over 45 years old. men if their parents or siblings had prostate cancer, but in the context of the pandemic, this option was used more slowly.
Head of the Department of Oncourology at the National Cancer Institute, Dr. Urologist, Oncologist Dr. According to Albert Ulio, there has recently been an increase in the incidence of prostate cancer among patients who come to consultations.
“During the pandemic period, the scope of prostate cancer diagnosis clearly decreased. This conclusion can be reached based on information about the number of prostate biopsies performed and the number of primary patients seeking medical attention, says A. Ulys.
– The volume of diagnoses has decreased due to the suspension of the prostate cancer early diagnosis program and visits to general practitioners for some time. We have seen an increase in the number of metastatic cancers with clear symptoms. “
However, according to Ulius, during the pandemic, the National Cancer Institute had no problem with urologist visits or prostate MRI, and did not have to wait long for a prostate biopsy.
“I think that in many cases, the problem of timely diagnosis has more to do with the patients themselves and with the health organization. Some patients fear the coronavirus. You may think that the other person is much worse, you can still wait, suffer. The patients they go to the doctor only when they have clear symptoms, when they can no longer suffer the pain, “says the doctor.
Undermines older men
“The average age of men with prostate cancer is around 70 years old. Prostate cancer is rarely diagnosed in men under 40 years old. However, I have seen cases of cancer in men between 34 and 36 years old,” he admits. the oncologist.
Aleksandras Petrauskas, temporary head of the Oncology Department at the Republican Hospital Šiauliai, says that all men can get prostate cancer.
“Prostate cancer in younger men generally manifests itself in a more aggressive way, in older men the disease is symptomatic. From the age of 75, prostate cancer screening in men is discontinued, because even when cancer is found, it is very slow and basically requires intervention only if it causes some symptoms, says A. Petrauskas.
– If we investigate ninety-year-old men, it is very likely that, for the most part, we will find cancer of one size or another. However, these cancers are slow at those times and have virtually no acceleration, so their treatment is likely to cause more complications and not change a person’s prognosis. “
You will not notice cancer yourself
Prostate Cancer: Often asymptomatic, even a trained professional with ten years of practice does not always detect the tumor vegetatively, so the idea that men can examine the prostate themselves is incorrect.
“Tumors generally do not cause any symptoms: they do not pinch the urethra, only in rare cases they cause pain in the pelvis, so the only way to detect cancer at an early stage is a periodic medical check-up,” says the oncologist.
According to him, men should have a prostate check from the age of 50. However, if the family is known to have a history of prostate cancer, the father or brother should have had prostate cancer and testing should start earlier, at age 45. A health check should be performed once every two years.
“The inspection is pretty standard, no one really tries to do an additional intervention if there is no reason to do so. A prostate cancer test is done by drawing blood, in the so-called PSA test. Its accuracy is almost one hundred percent. So Therefore, only after performing this examination, seeing the changes, a more detailed examination of the prostate is performed with a finger, says A. Petrauskas.
– Still, preventive prostate screening is certainly not a painful or fearful procedure. It is also important to mention that if the cancer is detected at an early stage, the treatment may be more varied, it is possible that the situation will simply be monitored for some time. There is really nothing to fear, I will repeat that a more detailed examination, an ultrasound of the prostate, a direct examination is performed only after a blood test if anything unusual is noticed ”.
Oncologist A. Ulys says that a family doctor should encourage men to have their prostate checked, and family, friends and the workplace also play an important role. It is also encouraging to know that early diagnosis and prompt treatment of this disease give the best results.
Symptoms that signal the disease.
Symptoms such as urinary incontinence, urination, and bone pain are very important in the diagnosis of prostate cancer, but they do not always occur, which usually indicates the presence of advanced or metastatic cancer. PSA testing and evaluation of its progress remain crucial in the detection of prostate cancer.
According to Ulius, the risk of prostate cancer increases with age and ethnicity. Men of African American descent have a higher risk of prostate cancer. Men with first-degree relatives have doubled their risk of prostate cancer.
“Unfortunately, we cannot change these etiological factors. The risk can be reduced by changing dietary patterns, consuming less fatty foods of animal origin, not smoking, avoiding endogenous hormones and ionizing radiation. An active lifestyle is advisable ”, recalls A. Ulys.
