Prostate Cancer

The numbers of prostate cancer new cases have increased tremendously over past few years. However, over 80% of the people who diagnosed with prostate cancer is 65 years old or above and it is a slow growing disease. Therefore the aging population is believed to be one of the reasons for this increasing trend; however other factors cannot be eliminated too. Some common symptoms of prostate cancer are difficulty in passing urine, blood in urine, frequency of urination and bone pain. Digital Rectal Examination (DRE) performed by doctors and blood test for Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) are common screening methods for prostate cancer. However, there is not enough evidence to support their effectiveness on reducing mortality rate successfully. Therefore population screening for prostate cancer is not recommended by experts in both Hong Kong or overseas. Nevertheless, there are still many treatment options for people who diagnosed with prostate cancer. Depending on the staging and the patient’s condition, suitable treatments like prostatectomy, radiotherapy (external/ brachytherapy), chemotherapy or hormonal therapy will be given to maximize patient’s benefit. This booklet will talk about the incidence, risk factors, symptoms and diagnostic tests of prostate cancer. Different treatments with pros and cons will also be elaborated more comprehensively.