with checkups and early diagnosis, more chances to do it (and well) – time.news

by time news
from Vera Martinella

The campaign in favor of prevention is back, with testimonial from the world champion of freediving Umberto Pelizzari: “Bringing out the problem is the best way to deal with it”. Cases on the rise, even before the age of 50, but men reluctant

With almost 40 thousand new cases diagnosed in 2020 in Italy it is the most frequent type of cancer in men after the age of 50, but the numbers are also increasing among the youngest. The good news is that, if identified at an early stage, today over 90% of patients manage to recover or live with the disease for decades thanks to the many advances made by scientific research and the many therapies available even in the most advanced stages of the disease. . Unfortunately, however, men continue to be reluctant when it comes to prevention and still too few are those who undergo an annual visit to the urologist or tests that could favor an early diagnosis, which means being able to have a timely and less invasive treatment. along with more likely to heal permanently. Precisely to raise awareness on the importance of prevention, the “Put a mustache in November” campaign is back, with reference to the now popular symbol (the mustache) of the many international initiatives on this theme organized November, month dedicated to prevention and health care male.

Symptoms not to be overlooked

Numbers in hand, one in eight men could get prostate cancer in the course of their own, but thanks to the progress made with prevention, early diagnosis and new therapies, over 80% of patients are alive 10 years after diagnosis. “Symptoms usually appear as the disease progresses, such as difficulty urinating, needing to urinate frequently, feeling that your bladder does not empty and blood in your urine – explains Roberto Sabbatini, medical director of Oncology at the University Hospital of Modena -. These are signs that can be confused with those of other benign diseases frequent after the age of 50 (such as benign prostatic hypertrophy). Given the difficulty of an early diagnosis, given the asymptomatic nature of the initial phase of the disease, it is even more important not to ignore the first alarm bells by immediately contacting the doctor for a check-up ». The campaign, promoted by Janssen Oncology, with the patronage of Europa Uomo, Fondazione Pro and Salute Uomo, was created to convince men to make the urological check-up, overcoming taboos and cultural barriers together with the reluctance to be examined because “to bring out the problem is the best way to face it “. On the Oncovoice.it website, in-depth information on the disease is available, with useful information and advice for patients and non-patients.

Attention even before the age of 50

The world champion of freediving Umberto Pelizzari he also lends his face as a testimonial for the 2021 campaign, renewing his commitment and support for the second year: the determination and perseverance with which he embarked on his sporting and personal path are useful values, in fact, on both fronts. Prevention, like sport, needs determination in order not to postpone checks and visits and perseverance, so that it becomes a good habit in men’s daily life. Although the disease, in the vast majority of cases, affects men over 65, statistics indicate in Italy an increase in cases of 3.4% per year in the under 50s. If the reasons remain partly to be clarified, it is also necessary to evaluate the role of prevention, for which by undergoing checks some men discover the neoplasm “in advance” which must be analyzed with great attention: in young age, in fact, prostate cancer is often completely asymptomatic and not very aggressive, but there is a share of cases in which the disease appears biologically different and progresses more rapidly.

Early diagnosis decisive for successful treatment

“As an association of patients and family members of patients, we ask that the institutions commit themselves now, without delay, to the early diagnosis of male cancer with the same strength and conviction with which they have committed and are committed to breast cancer – he says. Maria Laura De Cristofaro, president of Europa Uomo -. Men must know the importance of early diagnosis (urological examination and PSA test from 50 years of age) for the success of treatment and must know that surgery is not the only way today, because radiotherapy, which is increasingly precise, and active surveillance are just as effective. ‘ Faced with a prostate cancer in a low risk class, the optimal therapeutic solutions are in fact different: for the same efficacy, the choice must be made taking into consideration the possible side effects. It is men who, weighing the pros and cons of each option, must determine what is best for their quality of life. “Man does not do prevention because he is a slave to the fear of discovering that he is sick – he adds Vincenzo Mirone, president of the PRO Foundation -. In fact, prevention does not only mean undergoing medical examinations and following screening programs, but it means changing and improving one’s lifestyle ». “In order to defeat the disease, we need to use all the weapons we have at our disposal, such as prevention, information and interaction between volunteers and the public – he concludes Amilcare Brambilla, Head of Men’s Health -. It is in fact vital that men are informed and aware and GPs as well as specialists in the field are allies in choosing the best diagnostic path and therapeutic alternatives for the psychophysical health of each individual patient “.

November 9, 2021 (change November 9, 2021 | 5:55 pm)

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