Every year millions of people die due to cancer. Be it men or women, all genders and ages can be at risk of cancer. After lung and mouth cancer, prostate cancer cases have been seen the most in men. One in every eight men may be at risk of prostate problems or cancer.
Usually, prostate cancer cases are seen more after the age of 65, but now its risk is also being reported in people 60 years of age. According to the data for the year 2020, an estimated 1.4 million (14 lakh) new cases of prostate cancer were reported worldwide and an estimated 375,000 deaths occurred. In India 2020, 34,540 cases of prostate cancer and 16,783 deaths were reported. According to the data, about 366,000 men die of prostate cancer every year.
Health experts say that this cancer is emerging as a big threat in men. It is not identified on time, so in most people, it is diagnosed in the last stages. However, scientists are now making a big effort in this direction. The team of researchers is working on a new type of screening test that can save thousands of people by identifying prostate cancer in time.
Prostate cancer and its risks
Before knowing about this test, it is important to understand prostate cancer and its risks.
Prostate cancer is caused by the rapid growth of cells in the prostate gland, which is an important gland for the male reproductive system. It is the most common cancer in men and the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States.
Some changes in DNA are considered to be the main cause of this cancer. People who have had this problem in the family before have a higher risk of getting prostate cancer. Lifestyle disturbances and obesity can also be a risk factor for it. The biggest concern of doctors has been the inability to diagnose this cancer in time.
TRANSFORM Screening Trial
A screening trial has been launched in the UK to revolutionize the early diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer. The trial, known as 'TRANSFORM', has been funded by Prostate Cancer UK and several other institutions, including the National Institute for Health and Care Research. Until now, there is no screening test to properly identify the disease in its early stages.
The symptoms of this cancer also often do not appear until the cancer has spread. Experts hope that with the help of this screening test, it may be easier to detect cancer in time.
What do experts say?
Dr Matthew Hobbs, research director at Prostate Cancer UK, said, "The aim of TRANSFORM is clear. We want to find the most effective, least harmful ways to catch the disease in its early stages."
Until now, cancer has been detected by detecting a chemical called prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in men's blood. People at high risk are advised to have a biopsy. Hobbs said the problem is that a high PSA level in the blood does not always mean that it is prostate cancer. Biopsy is an expensive and painful procedure and sometimes there is a risk of infection and sepsis.
Timely diagnosis of prostate cancer
Hobbs said, there is no major gene that puts a person at a very high risk of prostate cancer, but there are about 400 such genes that together can increase the risk. We are trying to see how much risk a person can have of prostate cancer by using this panel of genes.
Professor Caroline Moore, head of urology at University College London, said, the global statistics of prostate cancer are quite worrying. Hopefully, in the future, we will have better technology that will help save lives by detecting this cancer in time.
(PC: ISTOCK)
