Urological oncologist Miguel Ángel Jiménez-Ríos explains how the psychological burden of the disease should change physicians’ approach to treatment and outreach.
The involvement of the prostate gland in sexual function, and the impact of treating tumours in it, make cancer in this part of the body an especially difficult one to deal with psychologically. Miguel Ángel Jiménez-Ríos, a urological oncologist at Mexico’s National Cancer Institute in Mexico City, spoke toabout how the psychology of the disease affects screening rates and patients’ quality of life, and how best to address these issues.
Second, the men we treat often have high levels of anxiety, depression and insecurity. This can make them less cooperative with doctors, which delays further diagnostic tests and leads to low adherence to treatment regimens. This is why treating the body is not enough. We must also address the psychological burden of prostate cancer.Almost all the international guidelines for cancer treatment ignore the psychological aspects of prostate cancer.
Our approach, which we call OPUS, involves people being systematically assessed not just by an oncologist and a urologist, but also by a psychologist, a nutritionist and other professionals. OPUS is, as far as we know, unique in Latin America. We work with people to improve their physical and mental health, but also to foster their self-esteem, their masculine image and, above all, their willingness to participate in treatment.
We’re also trying to improve screening rates, in part by promoting awareness of prostate cancer. The Mexican public is not well informed about this disease: around half of the men we canvassed did not know what symptoms they should look out for, and 15% thought that a blood test to look at PSA levels — a predictor of prostate cancer — involved the same procedure as a digital rectal examination.
Prostate cancer causes anguish and fear that stops people coming forward for screening, and often lowers the quality of life for those who are diagnosed. This is a problem that affects people all over the world, and it is important to help them understand that a diagnosis is not a guillotine cutting off their head. There are side effects of treatment, but we can make modifications to minimize some of them, and help people learn to have fulfilling lives despite the others.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
'Cobra Kai': Mary Mouser on the Sam & Miguel Scene She Helped DevelopCobraKaiSeason5 star Mary Mouser returns to ColliderLadiesNight! Hear all about her journey on the series thus far and about some of Sam's biggest moments in Season 5 right here ...
Read more »
Education Secretary visits Camden High School on bus tourThe newly renovated Camden High School served as the last stop of U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona’s back-to-school bus tour Friday.
Read more »
Mexican Independence Day is here: How September 16 signifies a 'moment of hope' for MexicoThose unfamiliar with the holiday may see comparisons to the U.S. Declaration of Independence. They are similar in that each country broke away from European rule, but that’s as close as they get.
Read more »
U.S. Education Secretary makes a visit to Camden High to cap weeklong bus tourMiguel Cardona praised efforts to help students recover from COVID losses: “This year, we have to double down, improve, raise the bar, give them more opportunities.”
Read more »