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Prostate cancer is the most common tumor affecting men in Brazil, accounting for 31% of all tumors, according to the National Cancer Institute (Inca). In Brazil, it is estimated that every 100,000 people, 70 will develop the disease. This figure is even more alarming in the Rio Grande do Sul: one hundred thousand men out of 82 could have the disease.
One of the reasons for the highest incidence in the state, observes urologist Eduardo Terra Lucas, is genetics. Lucas explains that descendants of European immigrants, in large numbers in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, and Americans are very likely to develop the tumor.
One factor that reinforces the recommendation to anticipate the doctor, is that 20 years ago. , about 80% of patients discover the disease at an advanced stage. Today, the number of diagnosed cases has fallen to 20%, which increases the chances of recovery of 95% of patients.
"This is the result of the reduction of prejudices and the expansion of technologies to identify cancer, such as the PSA
In November, the official month of warning campaigns to illness, Lucas and other professionals working in the hospital as Tatiane Carvalho Delavi nutritionist and doctors Pedro Geyer and Eduardo Gastal are promoting lectures on care and behavior. Symbol of the mustache to refer to the growing awareness of the risks. "And you with a mustache", is the constructive provocation.
According to the Inca, a man dies every 38 minutes victim of the disease In Brazil, metastasis in the gland usually begins at age 50. To monitor cases and reduce the number of deaths, doctors indicate that men begin routine examinations, the main ones being touch and PS. At age 50, with a few exceptions.
Men with a history of cancer. in the family and blacks should look for a urologist at 45 years old. These people are more likely to develop tumors in the area. "The diagnosis of cancer before it creates metastases is important to maintain the quality of life of the patient," notes the doctor.
PSA and touch only provide indications that the prostate may be compromised. Both tests must be done to confirm the disease, says Lucas. If an abnormality is identified, the urologist explains that the patient is undergoing ultrasound to collect the material needed for a biopsy that will confirm the diagnosis of the tumor.
Monitoring is one of the recommended procedures
The control will not prevent the man from having cancer, but will facilitate the treatment of the tumor. The specialist says that if diagnosed early, the disease can have several types of restraints, such as active surveillance. In this method, the patient must consult the specialist every four months to perform routine examinations, which do not expose him directly to a surgical procedure.
"If the disease progresses, the patient undergoes the surgical procedure for the removal of the tumor or for radiotherapy sessions," says the specialist.
Treatments are defined according to the severity of the case. In surgery, three types of surgery are currently used: open, laparoscopic and robotic. The most common is the open technique, but laparoscopy, which is less invasive than the open method, is developing in Brazil.
Disease control can also be performed with other methods such as hormone therapy, radiation therapy and chemotherapy.
Erectile dysfunction is a reality for most people who undergo the procedure, but it is treatable. This can happen if the patient already has previous problems. "In the case of a surgical procedure, a dysfunction may occur more often because the procedure may affect the blood vessels, but most of the time, the man will regain his badual ability over time., L & # 39; "Man will stop ejaculating because of the removal of the prostate," says Lucas.
Retired Guido Bitencourt is part of the group of men affected by the disease. He began medical monitoring for the prevention of prostate cancer ten years earlier than the estimated 40-year period. He spent 20 consecutive years in the examination rooms of the Divina Providência Hospital, in Porto Alegre, without noticing the change of gland.
But all this care did not spare him from being a victim of the disease: at 60, Bitencourt was diagnosed with an early stage tumor. Fifteen days after the confirmation of the disease, he was taken to the operating room for the removal of the tumor, which made it possible to temporarily remedy the problem.
After the operation, on recommendation of the specialist, the retiree intensified his visits to the urologist. Every three months, he went to the doctor to collect blood to identify the amount of prostate specific antigen (PSA) as well as the touch examination, which usually populate the body. 39, but generally constitute a ground for rejection. jokes.
Two years have elapsed since the surgery and during one of these consultations, an increase in PSA was observed, raising fears of new cancer. A biopsy confirmed the new cancer. This time, a different treatment has been proposed with radiotherapy.
Today, at the age of 74, Bitencourt continues its quarterly surveillance and criticizes people who play with prostate cancer and its procedures. "It's a lot worse for you to stop doing the conventional tests and when you see that you have cancer because the tumor does not show anything at first, it can only be verified by conventional research," says the retiree.
The patient became a channel for disseminating practices to anticipate potential problems Bitencourt advises family and friends to go to the urologist from the age of 45. "As in my case, anticipate consultations and exams can help reduce the number of cases of cancer in advanced stages, so it's a way without return, "warns the retiree
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