Men over 50 don’t forget to have their prostate checked

  Prostate cancer is the first malignant tumor in Europe and the United States, and the second most common in men, from Warren Buffett, Reagan, Powell, Mandela, Chavez, and Lee Hsien Loong. The incidence of prostate cancer in China has increased by 200% in the last 10 years. Today, we will talk about how to detect prostate cancer early.  Prostate cancer is very difficult to detect early by self perception. It is recommended that all men over the age of 45, especially older men over the age of 60, should have an annual rectal exam, which is crucial for early diagnosis. This is also the only way to diagnose prostate cancer before ultrasound is available. The accuracy rate of rectal examination is about 70%, which can lead to early diagnosis and chance of radical treatment. According to a report from the United States, regular rectal examinations are performed in the U.S. military system, and 50% of the patients found to have prostate cancer were curable, while only 5% of the cases found in the general population were curable. This shows the importance of routine annual rectal examinations.  The clinical application of the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, developed in recent years, has provided great convenience in improving the diagnostic accuracy of prostate cancer. This method can in most cases detect prostate cancer at its early stage of development so that timely therapeutic measures can be taken. The PSA (prostate-specific antigen) is >4ng/ml and is more pronounced in prostate cancer, especially in prostate cancer with bone metastases. The PSA is also elevated in normal people who have a blood test, especially after constipation or anal examination, due to the prostate being squeezed, resulting in the illusion of an elevated PSA. Therefore, in clinical practice, the best time to have a blood test for PSA is two weeks after the anal examination.  In clinical practice, prostate cancer mostly occurs in the peripheral area and there are no symptoms in the early stage, even if there is discomfort, it is not enough to attract the patient’s attention. When the tumor enlarges and compresses the urethra, it is often confused with prostatic hypertrophy. Therefore, about 80% of patients find distant metastatic lesions first, and then prostate cancer is found. At this time, the lesions are already in advanced stage and the prognosis is not good. It can be seen that early detection of prostate cancer is very important. Regular physical examination is the only way to detect prostate cancer at an early stage.