THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The rising incidence of prostate cancer could become a major health problem in the state, warns experts working in the area. In an unpublished study, funded by the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment, surgical oncologist Dr Chithrathara has found that the risk of prostate cancer is very high in men above 60 years of age.It is time to plan some large-scale population screening studies to look into the matter. Regular screening might increase the detection rate of early cancers, said Dr Chithrathara, who along with Dr Riju R Menon and Dr Vaidhyanathan had found this trend of increasing prostate cancer in men.In the study centered around Ernakulam, healthy men older than 50 years of age were screened. In the case of families with a history of the disease, men younger than 50 were also screened. “Many of them had come to hospitals for executive or comprehensive check-ups. Men bystanders of women cancer patients were also screened. We conducted medical camps in different locations of Eranakulam as well,” said the doctor. From the screening of nearly 1,500 men in the ages 50-80 years, the researchers concluded that the rate of incidence is as high as 275 per one lakh persons. All the men in whom cancer was detected were above the age of 60 years. The test for Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) showed a value of 1.19 in men aged between 50-59 which went up to 1.99 in men aged between 60-69 and further up to 2.38 in the age group of 70-75.While the study team attempted to get a co-relation between the dietary habits, smoking and obesity with the incidence of prostate cancer, they could not get clear-cut pictures on smoking and obesity. However, they found that vegetarians were at a lower risk than non-vegetarians.Obesity can however delay the diagnosis of prostate cancer in two ways. One is that it makes digital rectal examination, a major screening tool more difficult and the second is that the hormone changes makes the chances of detection remote using the Prostate Specific Antigen test.Those persons who showed abnormalities in digital rectal examination in the study were subjected to transrectal ultrasound and CT/MRI scans. Biopsies were also done to confirm the cases. Unfortunately, some of the people who attended the general camps were too poor, without a permanent address or phone numbers to trace them. Hence the study team was unable to proceed further in their case.Early detection is feasible in our state. Conducting urology camps with the help of social organisations can really help, said Dr Chithrathara. Screening impact on population depends on the successful diagnosis and treatment of detected cases. Probably the state also needs to think of financial assistance for diagnosis and treatment, she added.
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