Public well being messaging round prostate most cancers locations a deceptive deal with urinary signs and could also be hampering efforts of early detection, scientists have warned.
Cambridge University researchers stated there was “no evidence of a causal link between prostate cancer and either prostate size or troublesome male urinary symptoms”.
However, public well being steering usually promotes this hyperlink, with an elevated have to urinate excessive on the checklist of signs for prostate most cancers given on the NHS web site.
In a overview printed within the journal BMC Medicine, the researchers argue the “strong public perception” male urinary signs are a key indicator of prostate most cancers “may be seriously hampering efforts to encourage early presentation”.
“If rates of earlier diagnosis are to improve, we call for strong clear messaging that prostate cancer is a silent disease especially in the curable stages and men should come forward for testing regardless of whether or not they have symptoms,” the paper says.
“This should be done in parallel with other ongoing efforts to raise awareness including targeting men at highest risk due to racial ancestry or family history.”
Prostate most cancers is the most typical sort of most cancers in males. More than 52,000 males are identified with it every year and there are greater than 12,000 deaths, in accordance with Cancer Research UK.
More than three-quarters (78%) of males identified with the illness survive for greater than 10 years, however that proportion has barely modified over the past decade within the UK – largely as a result of the illness is detected at a comparatively late stage.
In England practically half of all prostate cancers are picked up at stage three of 4.
Vincent Gnanapragasam, professor of Urology at Cambridge University, stated: “When most people think of the symptoms of prostate cancer, they think of problems with peeing or needing to pee more frequently, particularly during the night.
“This misperception has lasted for many years, regardless of little or no proof, and it is probably stopping us selecting up circumstances at an early stage.”
While prostate enlargement may cause the urinary issues usually included in public well being messaging, proof suggests it’s comparatively uncommon attributable to malignant prostate tumours, the researchers stated.
Instead, analysis suggests the prostate is smaller in circumstances of prostate most cancers.
Source: information.sky.com”
