November is the month for the prevention of Prostate Cancer, a disease that, according to statistics, will affect one in six men during their lifetime. Cancer is one of the main causes of mortality in the Americas. In 2020, it caused 1.4 million deaths, 47% of them in people 69 years of age or younger.
The number of cancer cases in the Region of the Americas was estimated at 4 million in 2020 and is projected to increase to 6 million in 2040.
Mustaches for cancer
Based on this data, the “Movember” movement was born, an annual initiative that takes place throughout the month of November with the aim of raising awareness about men’s health issues, specifically prostate cancer and testicular cancer.
The word “Movember” is a combination of “moustache” and “November”. The hallmark of Movember is the promotion of mustache growth throughout the month as a symbol and conversation tool about men’s health.
In Chile, for example, the National Prostate Cancer Corporation has increased efforts to promote education about the disease, launching interactive books, where people can obtain in-depth information.
The two fundamental points of the annual campaign are awareness and education, seeking to generate information about the importance of early detection, risk factors and treatment options. The initiative seeks to eliminate stigmas and encourage open conversations about men’s health.
On the other hand, there is the promotion of Early Detection, which according to specialists, is crucial in the successful treatment of prostate cancer. Movember emphasizes the importance of regular screening and conversations with healthcare professionals to ensure early detection and timely treatment.
New treatments for the disease
Currently, the treatment that has the best rates of disease control and the highest quality of subsequent life is prostate brachytherapy with radioactive seeds, which is a type of radiotherapy in which tiny radioactive sources are implanted in the prostate gland, where the radiation It can eliminate cancer cells and prevent damage to healthy tissue and nearby organs. In Chile it is available in the GES (Explicit Health Guarantees).
Felipe Balbontín, Urologist and President of the Chilean Corporation against Prostate Cancer comments that “surgery presents a probability of sexual impotence between 50 and 70% and urinary incontinence for at least 2-3 months, unlike brachytherapy, which “It has an incidence of sexual impotence of less than 5% and absence of urinary incontinence.”
Other options
Another remedy is Darolutamide from the Bayer laboratory, intended for the treatment of patients with hormone-sensitive metastatic prostate cancer, which has reached a new milestone in the fight against this disease. The drug reduces the risk of death by more than 30% and, since its launch, has been treated in more than 30,000 patients.
Due to its chemical structure, Darolutamide inhibits the growth of cancer cells by blocking the activity of male sex hormones androgens, such as testosterone. This blockage of hormones prevents cancer cells from growing and multiplying.
In addition, it minimizes the risk of adverse effects caused by other treatments in its class, such as fatigue, risk of fractures, falls, skin discomfort or gastric intolerance.