Decreased late diagnosis of prostate cancer in Mexico

INCan’s Head of Urological Oncology, Miguel Ángel Jiménez, highlighted that OPUS is the only free, comprehensive prostate cancer care program in Latin America, which aims to quickly diagnose the condition and provide multidisciplinary treatment.

He stressed that it is necessary to raise awareness among the population that prostate cancer is one of the main causes of death for men in Mexico: every year more than 25,000 cases are detected and more than 7,500 people die from this cause.

All men over 40 years of age can participate in the program, with or without Social Security, who, after evaluation, undergo a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, a rectal examination, or, when appropriate, a transrectal or transperineal biopsy.

Men with a confirmed diagnosis undergo extension studies and begin medical, nutritional and psychological treatment at INCan or their statutory institution.

The PSA test consists of extracting a blood sample for laboratory analysis in order to identify the presence of certain proteins.

Patients arriving with metastatic disease receive combined treatment with hormonal therapy, chemotherapy, treatment with the latest generation antiandrogens, radiotherapy and pain management in the Pain Clinic.

The specialist said that since the start of OPUS in 2019, more than three thousand people have been treated, and 700 patients have been diagnosed with prostate cancer, and he explained that the main reason for the delay in diagnosing this disease is the lack of information.

Another reason they do not have the test is the natural reluctance to explore the prostate, because it is done through the rectum, which produces a psychological effect.

He pointed out that risk factors for cancer are age over 40 years, family history of cancer, obesity, smoking, alcoholism, lack of physical activity and malnutrition, as well as previous inflammatory prostate diseases.

Prostate cancer is a malignant tumor that arises when the cells of this organ begin to grow uncontrollably and mainly affects people over 45 years of age.

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