Prostate cancer is the first most common cancer in men and the second most common cause of cancer death, after lung cancer, in men in Cyprus. According to the Cyprus Cancer Registry, approximately 450 cases per year have been recorded in recent years.
This is stated in a statement by PASYKAF, which, as part of its program for the prevention and early detection of male cancer, which concerns prostate cancer, testicular cancer and bladder cancer, is moving forward with a campaign in November.
The campaign will be dedicated to enlightenment about prostate cancer, aiming to make men aware of prevention and early diagnosis.
The campaign is carried out in collaboration with the Cyprus Urological Society, the Cyprus Oncology Society, the Cyprus Surgical Society, the Cyprus Cancer Archive and with the proud supporter of OPAP CYPRUS.
According to PASYKAF, in terms of prevention and early detection, it is based on a simple blood test, which can help detect prostate cancer at an early stage. This test measures the amount of prostate specific antigen (PSA) in the blood. PSA is a prostate protein that occurs in small amounts in the blood of men perfectly normally.
It is added that under the age of 50, it is not necessary, as prostate cancer is rare in younger men. Only if a first-degree relative (father, brother or parents' siblings) has been diagnosed with prostate cancer does PSA testing make sense at age 40-50. Screening should be done regardless of symptoms, since, as mentioned, cancer usually develops slowly, without causing symptoms that lead to the doctor.
However, over the age of 50, about 2 in 10 men (20%) have an elevated PSA value. Elevated levels can be due to prostate cancer, but can also be related to benign prostatic hypertrophy or even a urinary tract infection or inflammation of the prostate (prostatitis). For this reason, additional examinations and especially the digital examination of the prostate by the Urologist are always necessary.
Early symptoms of prostate cancer are reported to be trouble urinating, blood in the urine or semen, pain in the lower back, hips and chest, weakness or numbness in the legs, loss of bladder or bowel control. Sporadic lower back pain and an increased and often sudden need to urinate are common symptoms of advanced age. However, when the pain persists and urination becomes increasingly difficult, the problem may not only be related to age. The etiology of prostate cancer remains largely unknown, and many people have no symptoms in the early stages of the disease.
It adds that the main risk factors for prostate cancer are old age, family history, a diet rich in animal fats and dairy products, and high levels of testosterone in the blood.
Some forms of prostate cancer can be aggressive and metastasize rapidly. However, if detected in time, it has very good prospects for effective treatment. It is considered a slow-growing disease and many men who are diagnosed live for many years without symptoms and without it spreading and becoming life-threatening.
"Why are many men over 45 reluctant to get screened for prostate cancer?" Do they feel that rectal examination diminishes their "manhood"? Or do they consider the procedure as a "violation" or as an unnatural act?", PASYKAF asks.
“If you're a man over 45 and you haven't been screened for prostate cancer, a treatable disease, and you end up dying because you missed seeing a doctor, you might have to consider what the impact of your loss will be on your loved ones. If that thought alone doesn't make you want to see a doctor about your prostate, then probably nothing will," says Eric Otis Simmons, author of Prostate Cancer Came A Knockin'.
For further information, the public can visit the PASYKAF website www.pasykaf.org and to send informational material contact the Association's Cyprus number 77 77 1986.
Source: KYPE