Overview
- Peru's Ministry of Health reminded the public on Monday that free prostate checks are available at health centers across the country to promote early diagnosis.
- Michoacán health officials said more than 100 new prostate cancer cases are found each year in the state and urged men to begin screenings from age 40 because about 70% of local diagnoses occur at advanced stages.
- GLOBOCAN 2022 puts Peru's prostate cancer incidence at 40.1 per 100,000, roughly one in seven men, and national providers report that about 60 to 75 percent of patients arrive for care in late stages, which lowers the chances of cure.
- Authorities recommend screening with a PSA blood test and a clinical prostate exam and list warning signs such as weak urine flow, blood in urine or semen, bone pain, unexplained weight loss, and erectile dysfunction.
- Health officials say social barriers like shame and symptom minimization keep men from seeking care and note that expanding screening will require sufficient follow-up services such as diagnostic tests and treatment at oncology centers.