The most important problem that has plagued the health of older men is prostate disease, which includes the common prostate enlargement and the “insidious” prostate cancer. In Europe and the United States, prostate cancer has long occupied the first place in the incidence of malignant tumors in men and the second place in mortality. In China, the incidence of prostate cancer is also increasing with the increase of life expectancy and the popularity of medical checkups. It has gradually become a health killer for middle-aged and elderly men, so how to prevent and detect prostate cancer at an early stage?
Prevention is multi-faceted
As we all know, the prostate is a unique organ for men. There are two rapid periods of growth and development of this organ, one is adolescence and the other is middle age, and the latter is a good period for benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer. The exact cause of prostate cancer is unknown, but it may be related to genetics, for example, if there is a family history of prostate cancer, the incidence rate will increase 2-3 times, and the incidence rate varies by ethnicity, for example, in the United States, the incidence rate of prostate cancer among blacks is more than 100 times that of whites, while the incidence rate of prostate cancer among Asian people is significantly lower than that of European and American countries. The incidence of prostate cancer in Asian populations is significantly lower than in European and American countries. In addition, there are many external factors, such as environmental factors, whether in a physically or chemically polluted environment, and dietary habits, such as red meat, dairy products, fried foods, and smoking, that may increase the risk of prostate cancer.
Based on the current research findings, we propose that the main focus of prostate cancer prevention are.
First: Screening for high-risk factors.
1. middle-aged and elderly men are the high-risk group for prostate cancer, so for all middle-aged and elderly men over 50 years old, serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) should be screened during physical examination.
2. For those who have a family history of prostate cancer, they should pay high attention to it and need to be closely followed up and regularly checked at the hospital.
Second: Pay attention to self-protection.
1. combining work and rest with appropriate aerobic exercise.
2.Improve the surrounding environment and avoid or minimize exposure to various carcinogens.
3.Changing bad habits, such as quitting smoking, etc.
Third: Improve dietary habits
Less intake of red meat, dairy products, high animal fat, fried food, etc.
Intake more of the following foods.
Soy products: soybeans and soy products inhibit the growth of prostate cancer because they are rich in phytoestrogens, which counteract the effects of androgens.
tomatoes: tomatoes contain lycopene which is an antioxidant that stops angiogenesis, thus reducing the risk of prostate cancer
Nuts: nuts such as walnuts and sunflower seeds are rich in vitamin E, which is an effective way to prevent prostate cancer
kiwifruit: rich in many nutrients such as amino acids and vitamins, which contain glutathione, which has the effect of fighting cancer cell mutations
fish, offal, sesame, fungus: these foods are rich in selenium, which is known to have an anti-tumor effect
onions, apples, green tea, red wine, garlic, chili peppers: these foods are rich in flavonoids, which have a weak estrogenic effect and also antioxidant, reduce angiogenesis and inhibit the action of prostate cancer cells
Pumpkin seeds: rich in fatty acids, which can improve the function of the prostate gland.
Early detection is the key
For prostate cancer, the most important preventive measure still relies on early detection. Early detection of prostate cancer can lead to radical surgery, while late stage can only be treated palliatively. However, unlike other tumors, prostate cancer cannot be seen or felt by the patient, and there are no obvious clinical symptoms in early stage prostate cancer.
So how can we detect prostate cancer at an early stage? The answer is to strengthen screening and screening, and if abnormalities are found, further examination and, if necessary, prostate puncture biopsy should be performed to clarify the diagnosis.
In terms of screening, there are three non-invasive tests that are clinically known as the gold standard.
First: blood PSA test
Although many molecular markers have been found in the research of prostate cancer, the most widely used and effective one is PSA, which is the serum prostate-specific antigen with a normal range of less than 4ng/ml.
Second: rectal finger examination.
Specialists can find out whether there is a lump in the prostate as well as the texture, size and boundary of the lump through rectal finger examination. Experienced and trained doctors can make a preliminary estimate of whether there is a possibility of prostate cancer based on the sensation on the fingertips, which is simple, easy to perform and does not depend on equipment, and can be popular in areas with poor medical conditions.
Third: Transrectal ultrasound.
Transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) can detect the presence of lumps in this area more accurately because the probe is close to the rectum, and can provide clearer ultrasound images of the overall structure of the prostate, the size, location, boundary, texture, and blood supply of the cancer, and can detect whether the tumor has invaded the seminal vesicles.
In addition, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can also detect the presence of a mass in the prostate as well as the size of the mass and whether the mass is located in the peripheral zone, but the corresponding cost is high and the results can only be used as a reference basis for clinicians.
In fact, there is only one gold standard for a clear diagnosis of early prostate cancer, and that is prostate puncture biopsy, except that it is an invasive test and there is a risk of hematuria, urinary tract infection and fever after the puncture, and there is also a possibility of missing the diagnosis with the previous random puncture. However, with the improvement of medical technology nowadays, we now use B-ultrasound guided fine needle multi-point puncture of the prostate, which can both adjust the accuracy of the puncture and reduce the complications after the puncture, etc. Therefore, this method is now recognized by scholars both at home and abroad as the most accurate and effective, and the only means to clarify early prostate cancer.