Pay attention to prostate

Hyderabad: Diseases related to the prostate among elderly men are often overlooked in India, which could lead to a situation where there is a delayed diagnosis, leading to significant health complications that could have been avoidable.

While it is a fact that prostate cancer is common in the west, now-a-days, urologists are witnessing a significant increase in the ailment in India. The rising cases of prostate cancer among elderly Indian males could be due to various reasons including diet changes, modern lifestyle influenced by the west and even better diagnostic facilities, doctors said.

“Apart from prostate cancers, even benign cancers of the prostate have become common. In India, 30 per cent of men above 50 years usually have Benign Prostate Hyperplasia (BPH). It is better for men over 50 years to get tested for prostate,” says senior urologist, robotic and transplant surgeon, Yashoda Hospitals, Somajiguda, Dr V Surya Prakash.

Prostate cancer is curable if diagnosed at an early stage. However, the challenge is that the disease is asymptomatic. The lack of any symptoms usually causes a false sense of security among men aged above 50 years.

“Despite no symptoms, diagnostic tests to detect prostate cancers are accurate, which has played a big role in quick identification. Earlier, due to lack of such testing tools, prostate cancers were identified very late,” Dr Surya Prakash pointed out.

The growth of prostate can be of two kinds including benign known as Benign Prostate Hyperplasia (BPH) and malignant (prostate cancer). “Majority of the prostate growth among Indian males are benign and they can be cured with very good results. In contrast, if malignant prostate cancers are not detected early, they sometimes become metastatic and spread to other parts of the body like bones,” he added.

What is prostate?

Prostate is part of the male reproductive system and plays a vital role in the production of the fluid in the semen. While sperms are made in testicles, the fluid in the semen is made by the prostate. “So far, nobody has been able to exactly figure out why or how prostate cancer starts. We, however, know that as men age, their risk of getting prostate cancer goes up. While it is not clear how, but diet, lifestyle and smoking are risk for prostate cancer,” Dr Surya Prakash pointed out.