Prostate cancer is the most common cancers in men over 60 years. It is possible to detect prostate cancer early in its evolution. Strictly speaking, we can not prevent the onset of prostate cancer, but you can detect when its size is still very small in a regular review. This is the same as for women who are advised screening for cancer of the breast or cervix.
Cancer cells are often present in the prostate, but they do not develop: it is said they remain in a latent state. These microscopic cancers and safe. Between 50 and 59 years, 1 man on a 3 microscopic cancer is the case for 4 in 10 men between 70 and 79 and the proportion is 7 out of 10 men after 79 years. Sometimes, about once a century, these tiny cancers develop very slowly and become true cancers. It is therefore important that you regularly review how to recognize these real-time cancers.
How to detect prostate cancer?
Detect cancer prostatePour detect the cancer from its appearance, from the age of 50 years, we have to go every year to the doctor for a rectal examination. The doctor inserts his index finger covered with vaseline impregnated into the anus and prostate palp with this finger, aided by the other hand placed on his stomach. The medical research with his finger if he receives a hard, ie an area of suspected prostate cancer. If this review raises a doubt, it must be a drawing of the area in question is a biopsy. It is then analyzed under the microscope by a laboratory of anatomo-pathology (a medical specialty which examines body tissues).
But the rectal is insufficient to diagnose all cancers. To find out if there in prostate cancer cells that the finger of the doctor could not perceive, it is necessary to make another examination. It is a blood test, which allows to measure a substance called Prostatic Specific Antigen, or PSA.
Finally, despite the imperfections of the PSA test, its ease of use has improved the situation as outlined in the Pr Abbou, Conference Chair of the AFU “Before the introduction of the PSA assay, 75% of cancers of the prostate were diagnosed with metastases, the proportion is now less than 30% “2.
Like the National Academy of Medicine, the AFU recommends screening for prostate cancer in all men from 50 to 75 years by determination of PSA and digital rectal exam (and therefore 45 years if family history).
Sur le plan économique, le Pr. Jean-Louis Davin2, président du comité cancérologie de l’AFU estiment que ces recommandations pourraient ne pas être plus coûteuses que les “dépistages sauvages” demandés à titre individuel par les patients, souvent trop fréquents.
Enfin malgré les imperfections du test PSA, sa facilité d’utilisation a permis d’améliorer la situation comme le souligne le Pr. Abbou, président du congrès de l’AFU “Avant la mise en place du dosage du PSA, 75 % des cancers de la prostate diagnostiqués étaient accompagnés de métastases, désormais cette proportion est inférieure à 30 %”2.
Tout comme l’Académie nationale de médecine, l’AFU recommande ainsi le dépistage du cancer de la prostate chez tous les hommes de 50 à 75 ans par dosage du PSA et toucher rectal (et dès 45 ans en cas d’antécédents familiaux).