Protect Your Prostate - What are the essential exams for each person?

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. In recent years the increase in the disease is very high tends to take the form of an epidemic.

The causes of the disease are not known, but some risk factors are known.

1. Age . Unlike other cancers, whose frequency decreases after a certain age, prostate cancer increases as the age increases. Thus, at age 50-55 the incidence of the disease is 45 cases per 100,000, at age 60-65 it rises to 337 cases and after age 65 it reaches 1,000 cases per 100,000 population.

2. Inheritance . From epidemiological studies it appears that the incidence of the disease is increased in the patients' relatives. Thus, while the odds of diagnosing the disease in the general population is 8%, the children and siblings of the patients rise to 15%.

3. Profession . Large exposure to cadmium appears to be associated with an increased incidence of the disease. Builders of batteries, tobacco, paint and other industries are at increased risk of developing the disease.

4. Diet . Fruit and vegetable consumption, avoiding high fat foods and increased vitamin D significantly reduce the risk of developing the disease.

Symptoms
In the early stages, when the disease is completely cured, it is asymptomatic . Symptoms such as urinary disorders (urinary frequency, urinary incontinence, nocturia, burning while urinating) occur as a result of urethral obstruction from the swollen prostate.

Diagnosis
The oldest and simplest test that helps us diagnose is the rectal dental examination . In prostate cancer, the prostate is hard on the body, unlike benign hypertrophy, where it is soft. So we have a quick and highly reliable information for diagnosis.

Another useful diagnostic method is PSA (prostate specific antigen) measurement . PSA is elevated in cancer, but can also increase in benign hypertrophy, but also in inflammation of the prostate.

Useful information about early lesions within the prostate also gives the cortical ultrasound , while the biopsy is the final exam that sets the diagnosis with no doubt. It is simple, it does not need narcosis and the risk of complications is very small.

Timely diagnosis & prevention
Prostate cancer in the early stages that is treated is usually asymptomatic. The purpose of medicine is to diagnose the initial stage and today we have the means to do it in order to cure the disease.

Because, as reported earlier, the cancer is asymptomatic, every man after age 50 should be screened every year for prostate cancer. This means that it has to be subjected annually to a finger test and a PSA measurement . There are two simple and painless tests that have led in the past years to early diagnosis of the disease. While diagnosis was made in most patients at an advanced stage a few years ago, today, mainly by PSA count, the proportion of patients with advanced cancer has decreased and this results in a larger number of patients being treated.

Except for cases where there are no symptoms, there are cases where there are some inconveniences , but these are often not evaluated. Thus, every man exhibiting one or more of the following symptoms:

- difficulty in passing urine,

- Frequent urination, especially in the evening with a small amount of urine,

- Intense urge to urinate while after urinating feels that the bladder does not drain well,

- When he sees blood in the urine,

- When it has persistent and long-lasting bone pain, particularly low in the middle,

it should be checked for the prostate as soon as possible, without this, of course, signifying cancer.

With regard to disease prevention, especially in Greece, there are two factors that act as protective agents . These are the abundant fruits and vegetables we have and need to consume, and secondly, because of sunshine, we have increased vitamin D.

As a conclusion we can say that prostate cancer is currently cured in the early stages and is now in the hands of every man to help in early diagnosis of the disease.