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Barcelona, Spain (UroToday.com) As a patient himself with prostate cancer, Mr. Dowling presented his perspective on the disease. Dr. John Dowling is the former chair of MAC – Men Against Cancer, an Irish-based patient support group for men with prostate cancer and testicles. In addition, he is the European Secretary of UOMO, which helps national organizations to provide prostate cancer services in an efficient manner and in line with national priorities. The organization works for prostate cancer patients in Europe under the same banner and strives to improve the treatments, care and quality of life of all cancer patients in Europe. prostate.
His presentation focused on some important epidemiological data from Europe and some points to consider when treating these patients. He first showed the percentage of men knowing the risks of prostate cancer and the PSA test. According to these data, less than 50% of men in Europe were aware of the risk of this cancer and the very existence of the PSA test (Figure 1). Then he showed data regarding health professionals who promote the PSA test, and only 50% actually did (Figure 2). Figure 3 shows the rate of men diagnosed with prostate cancer treated in a month, showing that only 19% of diagnosed men reach this threshold. Finally, Figure 4 shows the percentage of patients with low-risk prostate cancer who benefited from active surveillance in Europe, reaching a total of 64%.
Figure 1 – European data for men who are aware of the risks of prostate cancer and the PSA test:
Figure 2 – European data for health professionals who promote the PSA test:
Figure 3 – European data demonstrating the percentage of men with prostate cancer treated in the month following diagnosis:
Figure 4 – European data on active surveillance rates offered to patients with low-risk prostate cancer:
Dr. Dowling then addressed the important topic of adverse effects resulting from the treatment of prostate cancer. He showed a graph (Figure 5) showing the correlation between side effects and quality of life. This graph clearly shows that as the stage of the disease increases, the adverse effects that occur after treatment become worse and the quality of life of the patient decreases. It is therefore important to diagnose and then treat the cancer as soon as possible before the disease progresses. Mr. Dowling also mentioned that urologists should focus more on the preoperative explanation of the effect of surgery on badual function and what can be done in this case after surgery because this must to be improved.
Mr. Dowling concluded his speech and said that it is time to adopt a revised strategy that should include increased awareness of prostate cancer and PSA screening among at-risk men and ensure patients are diagnosed and treated in multidisciplinary centers.
Figure 5 – Correlation between side effects, quality of life, stage of illness and treatment:
Presented by: John Dowling, Secretary, Europa Uomo, European Prostate Cancer Coalition, Dublin, Ireland
Written by: Hanan Goldberg, MD, Urology Oncology Fellow (OUA), Princess University of Toronto, Princess Margaret Cancer Center @GoldbergHanan at the 34th European Urology Association (UAE 2019) # WATA19 Conference in Barcelona, Spain, from 15 to March 19, 2019.
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