dedramatize prostate tumor

It can be said that prostate cancer in men is the equivalent of breast cancer in women (due to its prevalence, survival rate, cure rate, and even its connection to sexuality). However, The appearance given to one and the other has nothing in common with each other. Rather, they are located at the antipodes.

So, while in the case of breast cancer there are many campaigns to prevent and raise awareness about its diagnosis, the importance of periodic check-ups or even various social activities, in the case of prostate cancer there is still a long way to go. And although comparisons are odious, and it is true that progress has been made in this sense, this example shows how the stigma associated with this male cancer remains a problem.

To counter this taboo and normalize the tumor, which is the third most common among men In our country, last Wednesday at the headquarters of LA RAZÓN, as part of the II Forum on Prostate Cancer, organized by ROC Clinic and A TU SALUD, a round table “Mutual support and tools for patients and families” was held.

In her Carlos Manuel Nieto, who underwent surgery for prostate cancer just six months ago, wanted to share his experience. To, in his own words, “dedramatize, you need to take it seriously and respect it, of course, not all cases are positive, but I want to dedramatize prostate cancer with this,” he said.

“I normalized it, made it visible in my environment and never thought about hiding it.”

In his case, it was a periodic performance review that alerted him when his 2022 test showed a high PSA level. After several months of observation and uncertainty, he was diagnosed with highly encapsulated carcinoma measuring 5 mm. So, at 53 and without symptoms, he and his doctor decided to do active surveillance.

After the operation on December 18th and after a very good post-operative period “there is no bleeding in the drain and I have not taken a single paracetamol since the operation”, he went home and ten days later he had the tube removed “and I had a “normal New Year’s Eve”. Everything remains fine until he starts work on January 9th, and 25 days later he doesn’t even start running.

Carlos says what he’s experienced in recent years has been “like a Netflix series.” That’s why, talks about the “chapter of consequences”, one of the most terrible in these cases, both due to the possibility of urinary problems and erectile dysfunction. However, in his case, everything went well again: “2-3 hours after removing the catheter, I had the urge to go to the toilet, and I was able to control it perfectly.” As for sexual function, there are no problems here either, although, he notes, “I don’t have the quality that I had before the operation, but I can finish without problems.”

“Because of our upbringing, it is usually more difficult for men to see a psychologist.”

Carlos’s case is a success story, not only because of the good results achieved to date, but also because of the naturalness and generosity with which he shares his story. Something that, although becoming increasingly common, is not normal. He himself admits that he “normalized it and in no way thought of hiding it.”

But this doesn’t always happen. Witness it Lara Fernandez, psycho-oncologist of the Spanish Group of Oncology Patients (Gepac): “Emotions like fear, anger, or even guilt are difficult to manage,” he explains. “It is also normal to find it difficult to manage uncertainty. Or worry about the diagnosis and treatment, or the impact it will have on quality of life and how it will also affect those around us.

That’s because “the stigma around this pathology usually makes it harder to take a step, because of the way we were raised, because men are strong and don’t ask for help,” he laments. For this reason, they try to ensure that once they do this, “they are in a space of trust where they can convey all of this,” he continues. “We are here to help patients and their families. Healthcare is very good but it has its shortcomings and we, the associations, are here to fill that gap to the best of our ability. Because this is another additional problem: there are not as many psychologists or psycho-oncologists in the SNS as would be necessary: ​​“We find many waiting lists, and follow-up is very variable in time.” In any case, they try to make sure that “anxiety limits them as little as possible and accompanies them throughout the entire process as long as they want it.” For them In this regard, they have a special program “Gepac is with you for prostate cancer.”

“Supply and demand go hand in hand: if patients don’t seek these services, there is no supply.”

And the approach to this cancer goes far beyond medical treatment, surgery or radiation therapy, which many patients are unaware of. This is where patient associations come into play in most cases, where men are not only informed about the possibility of accessing these services, but are often the only ones offering them. This is the case with the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC), which provides physiotherapy services to these patients. “At the association, we focus on physical therapy to address pelvic floor problems,” explains Virginia Prieto, coordinator of this area of ​​the AECC..

Something necessary, given the high percentage of sexual and urinary dysfunctions that occur in these cases and significantly reduce the quality of life and well-being. But, as with psychology, “we found a certain barrier to patients seeking help. And not only that, when they are offered this, they do not take a witness,” says the expert. “We want to come together to jointly develop strategies, because if these treatments do not appear, there is no point in continuing research in this area. “Supply and Demand go hand in hand, and if patients do not demand them, there will be no supply,” says Prieto. Moreover, he continues: There is a gender gap, in this case for men.: “Physiologists are trained to treat the female pelvic floor, and we see that female models are extrapolated to men, and this is inappropriate because the physiology is different. “That’s why we want the research to extend to humans.”

“We are committed to screening the population. We keep saying we want to be fourth in Spain.”

In its turn, Santiago Gomez, First Vice President of the National Prostate Cancer Association (Ancap), drew attention to the number of cases diagnosed at about 33,700 last year according to the AECC. For this reason, he said, “we are committed to screening the population. We keep saying that we want to become the fourth cancer screening in Spain. The European Society of Urology also supports screening. WHO warns of a 38% increase in mortality from this tumor. Moreover, we understand that this does not require additional costs.

Despite these numbers, his message is hopeful because, as he concluded, “Although it is the most common, it has a high life expectancy.: 80% of tumors are diagnosed in the local phase and have a 100% five-year survival rate. Let’s work together to make prostate cancer chronic.”