Early detection, diagnosis crucial

EARLY detection and diagnosis of prostate cancer is very important, a doctor says.
A member of the 12th China medical team and urologist Dr Xian Peng said the diagnosis of prostate cancer at different stages were different.
“If it is early stage prostate cancer, the patient’s five-year survival rate is almost 100 per cent,” he added.
“However, if it is metastatic prostate cancer, the five-year survival rate is less than 30 per cent.” Therefore, he said early detection and diagnosis of prostate cancer was crucial.
Xian added that in many Asian countries, the amount of late stage prostate cancer was very high.
“In Indonesia, the proportion of late-stage prostate cancer is about 60 per cent,” he said.
“I believe that Papua New Guinea’s data will not be better than this.”
Xian said to promote prostate cancer screening in developing countries would not be simple and feasible.
“Our medical resources are limited, the public lacks sufficient financial support to receive medical examinations and the public has no awareness of cancer screening,” he said.
“All of the above factors have restricted the implementation of prostate cancer screening.”
Xian said the team had recommended Prostate Specific Antigen testing and screening for the male population.
“Men over 45 years with a family history of prostate cancer, men aged 50 to 60 years who are willing to undergo screening and men over 45 years with urinary symptoms and abnormal findings in a rectal examination should under go screening,” he said.
He said that in order to better prevent and treat prostate cancer, the country should enhance public awareness of prostate cancer prevention. “Let the public have healthy eating and living habits as much as possible.
“It is necessary to obtain relevant equipment for prostate cancer diagnosis, such as ultrasound machines and MRI for guided biopsies.
“Have radiotherapy equipment.
“The fifth is to make sure drugs for advanced prostate cancer are accessible to patients with advanced prostate cancer,” Xian added.