Oncourologist Khafizov listed the most common types of cancer in men
Photo: Shutterstock
Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in Russia and the world and, according to Rosstat, one in six Russians dies from the disease. How not to miss and detect prostate, testicular and bladder cancer in a timely manner, said Kadyr Khafizov, urological oncologist at the Department of Oncourology of the National Medical Research Center named after him. NN Blokhina, Onconavigator project expert.
1. Prostate cancer is the most invisible and common
Although prostate cancer is common (the second most common in Russia), it is not considered aggressive. If the tumor is in the early stage, it responds well to treatment and then rarely recurs.
The problem is that the disease takes years to develop and in the early stages it does not cause any discomfort. It begins to manifest itself already at stages 3-4, when it goes beyond the organ. However, even in the fourth stage, when there is already metastasis, good results can be achieved and remission can be achieved.
Symptoms:
Pain in the perineum, pelvis, problems with urination: retention or, on the contrary, increased frequency, feeling of incomplete emptying of the bladder, slow urine stream. If the tumor has metastasized, bone pain may occur, and due to damage to the lymph nodes, the legs will begin to swell greatly.
How to identify:
The simplest and most effective method to detect prostate cancer early is to perform a regular PSA test. In this way, the disease can be detected in preclinical stages, when there are no symptoms. Most often, this type of cancer occurs in men over 50 years old, so at this age it is necessary to start doing this test and then repeat it periodically.
What to do if you find:
If the PSA is elevated, it is necessary to go to the urologist. He will order pelvic ultrasound, TRUS, digital scan and, if necessary, prostate MRI, biopsy, bone scan and full body PET-CT. The list of tests depends on the level of the tumor marker.
Treatment:
Based on the results of the investigation, treatment will be prescribed. This type of cancer has been widely studied, there are many schemes to combat it and it is also quite treatable.
2. Testicular cancer is the most “juvenile”
Another typical type of male cancer is testicular cancer, which occurs most often in men at a young age, between 15 and 40 years old. Although it accounts for only between 1 and 1.5% of cancer types in men, it is considered quite aggressive.
Symptoms:
The formation of a dense tumor nodule in the scrotum, which can be easily palpated and visible to the naked eye. Local temperature and pain may also appear, and the testicle may increase in size.
What to do if you find:
After detecting such a node, a man should contact a urological oncologist as soon as possible. To confirm the diagnosis, the doctor will palpate the tumor, offer to donate blood to detect the tumor markers AFP, LDH and hCG, and perform an ultrasound of the scrotum. The list of additional studies depends on the size of the tumor and the results of the initial tests.
Treatment:
In stages 1 and 2, you can get rid of the disease by resorting to surgery. In stages 3-4, treatment will be long and last several months or even years, but you can enter a stable remission and live a long and active life.
The disease is quite aggressive and it is not advisable to delay visiting the hospital, since it is difficult to cure patients in advanced stages.
3. Bladder cancer: detect it early
Bladder cancer is third or fourth in terms of prevalence. It also occurs in women, but in men it is 3-4 times more common. It mainly occurs in people who work in hazardous industries (for example, tanneries and factories and petrochemical companies) where they come into contact with aniline dyes.
Symptoms:
This type of cancer also does not manifest itself in any way in the initial stages. Pain, discomfort in the pelvic area, frequent urination, and blood in the urine occur when the tumor grows through the bladder tissue. Hepatic cramps, constant weakness, elevated body temperature, and urinary retention may also occur.
How to identify:
An annual ultrasound of the abdominal cavity, pelvic organs and a general urine analysis will help “detect” cancer in the initial stages. An ultrasound will help identify a formation measuring 2-3 mm, and an increased level of red blood cells in the OAM results can help suspect that something is wrong.
What to do if you find:
The next step is cystoscopy, computed tomography and MRI with intravenous contrast. Based on its results, you can find out the exact size of the tumor, its type (invasive or non-invasive) and determine the presence of metastasis.
Treatment:
If the tumor has not grown to the muscle layer, it responds well to treatment and the survival rate is quite high. At stages 3-4, when the tumor has grown into the muscle layer and has begun to metastasize, the prognosis is disappointing. However, it is also not worth giving up in this situation, since modern treatment methods and medications can improve the quality of life, relieve pain and achieve stable remission.
THE NAIS IS OFFICIAL EDITOR ON NAIS NEWS