Prostate cancer is the fifth most common cancer in the country, with 8,242 new cases and 3,164 deaths reported in 2020. It is the third leading cause of cancer deaths among Filipino men. 

June is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. 

The prostate is a small walnut-shaped gland located below the bladder in males. It produces the seminal fluid that nourishes and transports sperm. Early-stage prostate cancer may cause no signs or symptoms.  

According to the UK National Health Service, symptoms of prostate cancer include needing to urinate more frequently, often at night; difficulty in starting to urinate; weak flow; feeling that the bladder has not emptied fully; and blood in urine or semen. 

These symptoms, however, do not always mean prostate cancer. The NHS explained that many men’s prostates get larger as they get older due to benign prostate enlargement which is non-cancerous. 

While the cause of prostate cancer is not clear, certain factors can increase your risk of developing the disease. These include older age, with about 6 in 10 cases diagnosed in Filipino men aged 65 or older, said the Philippine Cancer Society (PCS).  

Family history or having an immediate relative who developed prostate cancer before the age of 60 also increases one’s risk. Obesity and a diet high in calcium have also been identified as risk factors. 

Knowing the right information is the most important weapon against prostate cancer, the Department of Health (DoH) stressed. Early recognition of symptoms and proper screening with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test or digital rectal exam (DRE) can help in the early diagnosis, and increase the likelihood of successful treatment. 

The PSA test is a blood test used primarily to screen for prostate cancer. It measures the amount of PSA, a protein produced by both cancerous and noncancerous tissue in the prostate, in the blood.  

Meanwhile, DRE is a procedure in which your doctor inserts a gloved, lubricated finger into your rectum and feels the back wall of the prostate gland for enlargement, tenderness, lumps or hard spots. If prostate cancer is found as a result of PSA or DRE screening and confirmed by ultrasound and biopsy, it will probably be at an earlier, more treatable stage. 

A healthy lifestyle can lower the risk for prostate cancer. Diets rich in fruits, vegetables, and grains are preferred, coupled with exercise most days of the week to maintain a healthy weight. It is also important not to smoke and to avoid secondhand smoke. 

Remarkable advances in cancer medicines are ushering in a new era for patients. Today, thanks to research and development of new treatment options, the outlook for cancer patients is brighter than it has ever been. 

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said treatments, upon discussion with a doctor, may include expectant management where the cancer will not be treated right away but will be actively monitored.  

Prostatectomy, or the surgical removal of the prostate, is also an option. Another treatment pathway is radiation therapy which uses high energy X-rays to destroy cancer cells. 

The CDC added that therapies also under investigation are cryotherapy where a special probe is placed inside or near the prostate cancer to freeze and destroy the cancer cells.  

Chemotherapy, on the other hand, is the use of special drugs to shrink or kill the cancer cells. Another therapy under this category is called biological therapy which works with the immune system. 

The CDC also included other therapies under investigation namely high-intensity focused ultrasound which directs high-energy sound waves at the cancer cell to destroy cancer cells while hormone therapy blocks cancer cells from getting the hormones they need to grow. 

While we have come far in the fight against cancer, for many of the difficult-to-treat and very rare forms we are still in need of new and better options to deliver hope to patients and allow them to live longer, healthier lives. Our work continues. 

Teodoro B. Padilla is the executive director of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines (PHAP), which represents the biopharmaceutical medicines and vaccines industry in the country. Its members are at the forefront of research and development efforts for COVID-19 and other diseases that affect Filipinos.