Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among elderly men in Europe and most of them develop slowly, often causing no symptoms.
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PROSTATIC BRACHYTHERAPY
Prostatic brachytherapy is also known as interstitial or internal radiotherapy, consisting in the placement of radioisotope seeds in the prostate, via the perineal route.
It is a minimally invasive surgical modality, simple and unique to perform, which allows discharge within 24 hours and the possibility of returning to normal life almost immediately, unlike radical surgery or external radiotherapy.
The procedure does not require a surgical incision or blood transfusion and as the seeds are housed only in the prostate, the adjacent tissues (urethra, bladder and urethra) are spared.
The treatment of prostate cancer with brachytherapy has shown high curative success rates, in addition to the great advantage of being used in a single session.
At the same time, and equally advantageously compared to other approaches, the associated complications are low (less than 10% for some type of sexual impotence or sexual incontinence).
WHICH MEN PRESENT THE HIGHEST RISK OF DEVELOPING PROSTATE CANCER?
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among elderly men in Europe and most of them develop slowly, often causing no symptoms.
Every year there are almost 6,000 new cases in Portugal and in terms of mortality this cancer annually affects more than 1,800 men.
All men over 50 years of age should be screened.
In the case of risk groups, such as black men and/or men with 1st-degree relatives (siblings or parents) who have suffered from cancer, screening must be carried out from the age of 40, as in these circumstances the probability increases threefold.
The possibility of developing prostate cancer increases exponentially with age, and in most cases, this occurs over 65 years of age.
SCREENING FOR PROSTATE CANCER
Screening is performed using the PSA test and digital rectal examination.
Clinical analysis to detect prostate specific antigen (PSA) is performed from a blood test.
An elevated PSA value is usually caused by Benign Prostate Hypertrophy or prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate), however it can also be associated with prostate cancer. For this reason, in the presence of a high PSA, a rectal examination should also be performed, whose palpation of the prostate will allow detecting irregularities, hard or granular areas (possible nodules).
If this occurs, a transrectal prostate biopsy will follow through the rectum, with a needle, a sample of the prostate is collected to be analysed. At the same time, the use of other diagnostic tests is also common: ultrasound, CT, MRI or even bone scintigraphy.
4th November 2021
4, November 2021