Back pain may be a symptom of bone metastasis! Early screening only requires a tube of blood? Is there no cure for late-stage prostate cancer?

In the eyes of children, their fathers are very strong. They rarely take minor injuries and pains to heart, but often neglect their health. Some health problems may be discovered in casual conversations.

Recently, 65-year-old Mr. Zhang was chatting with his daughter and said that he had obvious pain in his waist and back recently. Massage had no effect. His daughter urged him to go to the hospital for treatment. After a series of examinations, the doctor said that it was "prostate cancer" that caused bone metastasis and asked him to be hospitalized for treatment. Mr. Zhang was puzzled. How could back pain be related to prostate cancer?

What is the reason for this? What is prostate cancer? Can it be diagnosed early? Let's find out together...

1. What is prostate cancer?

The prostate is an organ unique to men, located at the junction of the bladder and urethra.

Prostate cancer is a malignant tumor that originates in the prostate gland. It is one of the most common malignant tumors of the male genitourinary system, the second most common and the fifth most fatal malignant tumor in men worldwide, and a major threat to the health of middle-aged and elderly men.

The patient's survival time is closely related to the stage at the time of clinical diagnosis.

In our country, more than two-thirds of prostate cancer patients are already in the middle or late stages or locally advanced stages when they are first diagnosed. Just like Mr. Zhang, without early diagnosis, he has missed the best opportunity for treatment.

2. What are the symptoms of prostate cancer?

Early prostate cancer may not have any typical symptoms.

1. As the tumor grows, it may compress, block the urethra, or invade the bladder neck, causing progressive dysuria;

2. It may even invade the seminal vesicle, causing hematuria, hematospermia, etc.

3. If lymph node metastasis occurs, it may cause lower limb edema;

4. Prostate cancer is also prone to bone metastasis. It is common in the pelvis, spine, femur and other parts. Many people are diagnosed with prostate cancer because of bone pain or even fractures. About 50% of patients have bone metastasis at the time of initial diagnosis.

3. Who are the high-risk groups for prostate cancer?

Screening of people at high risk of prostate cancer and early diagnosis and treatment of patients are crucial to improving the cure rate of prostate cancer.

The "Guidelines for Prostate Cancer Screening, Early Diagnosis and Treatment in China (2022)" point out that age, smoking, obesity, family history of prostate cancer and breast cancer, prostatitis, benign prostatic hyperplasia, and excessive intake of dairy products are all considered high-risk factors for prostate cancer.

The Guidelines state that men with a life expectancy of more than 10 years and who meet one of the following conditions are at high risk of prostate cancer:
1. Age ≥ 60 years old;

2. Aged ≥ 45 years and with a family history of prostate cancer;

3. Carrying BRCA2 gene mutation and aged ≥40 years.
All men other than the above high-risk groups are in the general risk group.

4. Early screening for prostate cancer only requires one tube of blood?

PSA is currently the ideal serum tumor marker for prostate cancer. For people who need prostate cancer screening, serum PSA testing should be performed once every 2 years.