The Ministry of Health is using Men’s Health Month to increase awareness of prostate cancer and the importance of taking action as soon as symptoms appear.
Prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in men, with more than 520 new cases each year in Luxembourg. It is also the second deadliest cancer, causing 55 deaths in 2019, according to the National Cancer Registry.
As part of Men’s Health Month, the Ministry of Health and Welfare wants to raise awareness among men of the importance of checking for symptoms that may indicate prostate cancer and seeing a doctor as soon as possible.
Symptoms include high PSA levels and pain when urinating. The ministry emphasizes that prostate cancer presents symptoms similar to those of certain benign diseases.
If symptoms are present, only a doctor can refer the patient for appropriate additional examinations, namely a PSA blood test and a rectal exam. These two tests combined offer the best chance of early detection of prostate cancer, according to the ministry.
Cases of prostate cancer increase rapidly with age, peaking between ages 75 and 79. It should be noted, however, that the mortality rate for this type of cancer only increases after age 85.
The ministry emphasizes that the earlier the diagnosis is made, the more effective the treatment and the better the chances of recovery.
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