Survival rate 99% if prostate cancer is detected early

The UAE is no exception with prostate cancer the second most common cancer among men.

Good news for men worried over prostate cancer. The disease, when diagnosed in its initial stages (0-II), less aggressive treatment is needed and the survival rate is almost 100 per cent, according to health experts.
As men's health awareness month is taking place throughout November, doctors are urging men across the country to go for screening for early detection of prostate cancer.

Dr Waleed Hassen, urologic oncologist in the surgical subspecialties institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi (CCAD), said that however, if left undetected and allowed to progress to other areas in the body, the five-year survival rate drops significantly to 30 per cent.
"Unfortunately some men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in the late stages of their disease when it cannot be cured."
"I strongly encourage all men between the ages of 50 and 70 to take charge of their health and consult their doctor about whether prostate cancer screening is right for them. A simple blood test can save their life."
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), prostate cancer is one of the top five most common cancers among men, affecting almost 1.3 million people globally per annum. The UAE is no exception with prostate cancer the second most common cancer among men.
A 2015 report by the Department of Health in Abu Dhabi (HAAD) revealed that 20 per cent of the cancers diagnosed annually among males in the UAE are prostate cancer.
Dr Basel Altrabulsi, chief medical officer at National Reference Laboratory, said the disease not only affects older men, stressing that he has received a patient as young as 40, while his oldest patient was 75.
He added that there is "no good published data" in the UAE regarding prostate cancer, which could be linked to under-diagnoses. However a 2014-2015 report revealed that there are around 1,500-1,600 newly diagnosed cases in the country. A common misconception is: "If you don't have any symptoms, you don't have prostate cancer. Many times, the symptoms can be mistaken or attributed to something else."
jasmine@khaleejtimes.com