How to detect prostate cancer early?
The early diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer in China is not well developed, and many patients are already in the middle or late stages of the disease when they are first seen, meaning that the best treatment period has been missed, and making the survival time for prostate cancer patients in China much shorter than in Western countries.
In fact, the screening tool for prostate cancer is the easiest of all malignancies – a blood test for prostate specific antigen (PSA), which has a diagnostic accuracy of over 90% and is routinely performed in most tertiary hospitals at a very affordable price. It is also very affordable.
Currently, we have a threshold for PSA greater than 4.0ng/mL, and those who exceed this threshold need to be screened next to confirm the diagnosis of prostate cancer.
Who needs regular PSA testing?
Men who meet the following criteria may consider regular PSA testing to screen for prostate cancer:
- Age greater than 50 years old;
- Age >45 with a family history of prostate cancer;
- Age >45 with a family history of prostate cancer;
- Age >40 years and baseline PSA greater than 1ug/L;
- Age >40 years and baseline PSA greater than 1ug/L;
- Good health and a life expectancy of 10 years or more.
Simply put, PSA screening is recommended at routine annual physical exams for men over 50 years of age. Early detection of prostate cancer is highly effective, and a combination of therapies is now being used to achieve a 5-year survival rate of more than 90% for patients with early-stage prostate cancer.
Older adults with lower extremity and lower back pain should also be alerted to prostate cancer
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The proportion of patients with advanced prostate cancer is significantly higher in China than abroad, partly because people are not sufficiently aware of the disease and partly because some physicians do not pay enough attention to the diagnosis of prostate cancer.
Many elderly people have symptoms such as lower limb pain and lumbar aches and pains, thinking that it is an age-related strain or fatigue aging of the joints, and some non-specialists do not pay enough attention to make a differential diagnosis, so patients take their own medicine, physical therapy or just receive general blood circulation and blood stasis treatment.
In fact, as prostate cancer progresses, it may also lead to progressive pain in the joints of the lower extremities, pelvis, and low back. In severe cases, prostate cancer is not finally diagnosed until there are fractures in the lower extremities or even paralysis of the lower extremities, thus losing the best time to treat the problem.
Middle-aged and older men are reminded that when there is recurrent or progressively increasing lower extremity or low back weakness, skeletal pain, and low back pain, in addition to routine treatment consultation with an orthopedic surgeon, the possibility of prostate cancer should be considered and it is best to consult with a urologist for a simple blood test to see if the PSA is elevated.
Summary
In conclusion, middle-aged and older men should always be aware of their health.
Routine physical exams usually include a PSA test for early detection of prostate cancer and ideal treatment; unexplained, recurrent lumbopelvic discomfort and lower extremity pain should alert you to prostate cancer and seek the help of a urologist to identify the cause.
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