The most common cancer in American men in the field of urology is prostate cancer, but in the Hispanic and black communities no one talks about it, they rarely go to the doctor and it is very difficult to get them to go, says the doctor Ramkishen Narayanan, a specialist in urologic oncology at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California, who spoke about the topic with The opinion.
Every day we see that more Latin men suffer from prostate cancer, some even die when it metastasizes, that is, when the cancer spreads, what is happening? Are all men at risk of prostate cancer at a certain age?
“We have two types of prostate cancer, one that is not aggressive, and the other that is. The majority of men over the age of 50, about 50%, will develop some type of prostate cancer.”
He explains that the difference lies in whether this prostate cancer will need to be treated, or if it is enough to be monitored and watched.
“What happens with Hispanic men and men of color in general is that they don’t like going to the doctor for a checkup. Therefore by the time they are diagnosed, the cancer is potentially a little more advanced and more aggressive.”
He emphasizes that the real message for Hispanic men is that as soon as they are 45 years old they should begin taking the PSA test to detect prostate cancer, which consists of taking a blood sample that the same primary doctor can order.
“This is an exam that men should take every year, starting at age 45.”
The main thing, says the surgeon who is part of the new oncology program at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center, is to talk to your family about prostate cancer.
“It is very important to sit down and talk with the family. Ask your dad, something like, is there a family story about prostate cancer. Finding out your family history of cancer is key.”
If there is a history of cancer in the family, does that mean I can have it?
“No, basically if you have that history, what we do is start the examination process just to ensure possible red alerts or abnormal laboratory results. Prevention is essential and that is why my advice is that men get checked every year after age 45.”
The doctor says that beyond family history and getting medical checkups, there isn’t much else you can do to prevent prostate cancer.
However, consider that a healthy and balanced lifestyle, such as improving your diet and exercising, always helps.
“It is recommended to avoid tobacco because it can potentially increase the risk of prostate cancer, but it is not a risk factor as significant as family history and having a medical check-up every year.”
How much influence does alcohol consumption have on acquiring prostate cancer?
“It’s somewhat controversial. There are studies that recommend two glasses of red wine a day. Nowadays they are saying not to drink alcohol at all. So far there is no association between alcohol and prostate cancer.”
Once this type of cancer has been detected, what are the chances that it will metastasise and spread throughout the body?
“If they detect it early, the probability of curing it is more than 95%. It is a very curable disease. That is why it is key to get checked because the earlier it is detected, the more curable it is.”
And he also said it’s difficult for men to talk about prostate cancer because treatment affects erections and the ability to hold urine. “Having sex and the right to urinate are two things that are very important to men; and no one wants to talk about it in strong cultural communities.”
For this reason, he insisted that the sooner prostate cancer is detected, the greater the chance of a cure and preservation of erectile function.
How does prostate cancer affect us as a community?
“I am an academic surgeon and I do research. The challenge with the Latino community is that there are not many Hispanic patients in the available statistics. For example in a study of 170 people, you have 100 Caucasian men, 50 African-American men, and you may have 20 Hispanic men. So there is not much to look at to know the precise averages of the impact on Latinos.”
He said that personally he is very interested in ensuring that the Hispanic community continues to grow in number in prostate cancer studies.
“It is the fastest growing community in the United States and we have to include it in general urological health to make an immediate impact.”
Dr Narayanan said that at the Urological Health Center they not only deal with prostate cancer, but also kidney and bladder cancer.
“Kidney cancer is a perfect example that if you had good medical controls, work on your blood pressure and are not obese, you can cure it.”
Hispanic women
As for Hispanic women, the surgeon said that some studies show that they have a high rate of kidney cancer, and they don’t know why.
“Maybe it could be due to high blood pressure and obesity. That is why we must make sure to change some risk factors in the diet, and this applies to both men and women.”
He states that once kidney cancer has spread, it is more difficult to cure, but with CT scans, if a small tumor is found it is 100% curable.
“That is why it is so important to go to the doctor and the urologist; and to prevent kidney cancer, obesity and blood pressure must be kept under control.”
Note that it is also key to have genetic tests to detect family history.
“Fortunately we have one of the best genetic testing centers in the country at the Disney Cancer Center in Burbank; and again we have to talk to the family to find out our history of illnesses.”
He states that if he had to specify the most common types of cancer in Latinos at a urological level, without a doubt number one is prostate cancer, followed by bladder cancer and then kidney cancer.
Specifically, he maintains that bladder cancer is the most expensive in the United States because it involves multiple doctor visits and a lot of follow-up.
“If you see blood in your urine, you need to see a urologist. The number one cause of bladder cancer is tobacco. So if you’re smoking, you need to quit.”