Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer in men in Romania, followed by lung cancer. In Romania, 10,442 new cases of prostate cancer and 2,854 deaths are registered annually.
Prostate cancer affects more and more Romanian Romanians: Shuterstock
“With 39,525 active patients in Romania, prostate cancer is not a statistic, it is a crisis we need to take care of. The open discussions with the family doctor or the urologist and the regular performance of the PSA test and the rectal cough, especially after the age of 50, are essential for the early detection of the prostate cancer, and they can make a difference,” says Cezar Irimia, the president of the Federation of Cancer Patients’ Associations.
The disease occurs in men in the prostate gland, located under the bladder, being responsible for the production of semen. Although in many cases, prostate cancer develops slowly and does not cause obvious symptoms for years, there are aggressive forms that can produce metastases, especially at the bone level, according to Click!
Risk factors include age (over 65 years), family history of prostate cancer, genetic mutations such as BRCA2, obesity and lack of physical activity.
The diagnosis of prostate cancer is made by the PSA test, rectal cough, magnetic resonance imaging and biopsy. The treatment varies depending on the stage of the disease and includes active surveillance, surgery, radiotherapy, hormonotherapy and, in some cases, chemotherapy and targeted therapies.
“Mortality is alarming. Over 30%, given that, in countries with active screening programs, this is below 10%. Why this discrepancy? Because in Romania we do not have a National Screening Program for prostate cancer. There are no invitations automatically sent to men over 50. There are no clear routes for testing, tracking and early treatment. Everything remains at the patient’s initiative, or, more serious, at random ”, says Dr. Osama Saloum, specialist urology of primary urologist.
In many developed countries, the 5 -year survival rate exceeds 90%. In Romania, unfortunately, many patients reach the doctor in advanced stages, when the treatment options are limited.
