Prostate Cancer
Early Detection and Active Prevention

Prostate carcinoma, also called prostate cancer, is a malignant tumour of the prostate gland in men. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in Germany. According to the Robert Koch Institute, about 64,000 new cases are diagnosed nationwide every year. The average age is just over 70, while the disease is rare before the age of 50.

In the early stages of the disease, prostate cancer often shows no symptoms. However, early detection significantly increases the chances of successful treatment. Therefore, early detection and precise diagnosis are so important. Today, modern techniques enable targeted examination and assessment of the tumor – an important basis for individually tailored treatment.

Screening can be particularly important and recommended for prostate cancer. Men aged 45 and over should consult their doctor about this screening.

Generally prostate cancer does not cause any symptoms in its early stages. This is precisely why a diagnosis in this asymptomatic phase can be so important. It can prevent the disease from progressing, particularly the formation of metastases and a potentially fatal course. In addition, early detection often allows a form of treatment to be chosen that preserves quality of life.

In advanced stages of prostate cancer, the carcinoma increasingly constricts the urethra, causing

• difficulty in urinating
• a weakened urinary stream
• subsequent residual urine to form and
• urinary retention.

Other symptoms include pain in the prostate, severe pain in the lower back, pelvis, hips, or thighs, weaker erection or impotence, and reduced ejaculation. Bone metastases can also develop, mainly in the lumbar region.

As benign prostate enlargement (benign prostatic hyperplasia) has the same symptoms, further tests for the diagnosis of prostate cancer must be carried out.

For the early detection of prostate cancer, testing for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is recommended.

This substance, which is produced in the prostate, can be found not only in semen but also in blood, which makes it easier to detect there. In patients with prostate cancer, the PSA level is often increased. However, high PSA levels are also found in prostate inflammation and benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Initial testing of PSA levels is recommended from the age of 45. If the PSA level is elevated, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be performed.

If an abnormal PSA level and imaging procedures raise a well‑founded suspicion of prostate cancer, a biopsy is often required. During this procedure, a fine hollow needle is used to take a small tissue sample from the prostate, which is then examined in the laboratory. Thanks to modern imaging techniques – such as the combination of MRI and ultrasound – in many cases, tissue can now be removed precisely from areas where it appears abnormal. This increases diagnostic accuracy and reduces unnecessary procedures. However, as part of an initial biopsy, a so-called systematic biopsy is also recommended. In this case, samples are taken from different areas of the prostate according to a fixed pattern.

For a targeted and precise removal of tissue samples, we recommend the UROMED CORAZOR^® Biopsy Device and the UROMED Puncture Biopsy Cannulas..

Prostate cancer usually originates from the glandular cells and therefore belongs to the group of so-called adenocarcinomas. If the prostate enlargement is due to cancer, treatment depends to a large extent on the biological properties of the diagnosed tumour, whether it is benign or malignant, and whether metastasis has already occurred. The tissue samples collected will indicate this.

The more precise these tissue samples are, the better the appropriate treatment or therapy option can be selected. Therefore, UROMED supports targeted sampling and thus targeted diagnostics with the CORAZOR^® biopsy products.