Of 60,000 cases a year, prostate cancer is one with a share of 25.4 percent of all cases of cancer diagnosed to the most common tumors in men in Germany. As for prostate cancer comes when examinations are appropriate, and what therapies there are.
Prostate cancer: risk factor number 1 – the age
Annually, medical professionals in Germany, about 60,000 new prostate cancer cases. The most important risk factor for the Occurrence of this disease is age, the average age of onset is 69 years. Prostate cancer in blood relatives are already available, increases the likelihood that a Tumor is enormous. Therefore, the physicians recommend appropriate preventive measures in good time – about 45 years of age. Years old to take in.
PSA value and types of screening
In the context of the screening is initially determined through a Blood test called the PSA-value. This describes the level of concentration of a specific protein in the blood called prostate specific antigen. Increased concentrations indicate prostate enlargement, inflammation or cancer. In addition, a digital should be carried out rectal examination to feel for any changes.
About the expert
Inga Cruse is a specialist in radiology of radprax, Wuppertal, specializing in the MRI diagnosis of prostate cancer. As a network of Medical care centres (mvzs) and practices in radiology, nuclear medicine, radiation therapy, and cardiology, the radprax group serves both the ambulatory patients as well as radiological departments of hospitals.
Even after controlling for an elevated PSA level doctors recommend, according to the guideline of the urologist, an ultrasound-guided biopsy of the prostate. This is a procedure in which tissue samples from different areas of the prostate are taken.
Best practice: MRI examination of the prostate
The most accurate imaging method for the detection of prostate cancer, the MRI scan of the prostate. Current studies show that no other method excludes as safe as MRI which requires treatment of Tumor of the prostate. In addition, it is possible with the MRI reliably, and to discover the need for treatment of tumours, including those in the ultrasound-guided biopsy were missed.
In the case of conspicuous Findings in the MRI, these are clarified, then a tissue sampling: either by the MR-ultrasound fusion biopsy or MRI-guided biopsy. In this method, the MRI images with the ultrasound images are overlaid, which allows the urologist to biopsy the striking MRI findings, ultrasound controlled. Advantage of this biopsy, the greater accuracy is, in particular, in the case of very small herds, while the MR – ultrasound fusion biopsy provides the opportunity to remove additional samples from the entire prostate.
In patients with already diagnosed prostate cancer, physicians rely on the PSMA PET-CT scan to detect small metastases in the lymph nodes, or if the suspicion of a renewed tumor growth in already treated areas. In this method, small amounts of radio to be injected-labelled molecules that accumulate in tumor tissue, and imaging techniques can be displayed.
High chance of a cure by surgery and radiation therapy
Depending on the age of the patient, the aggressiveness of the tumor and the health Impacts of different therapy options on offer. Little aggressive tumors do not need to a primary treatment, but can be observed.