The prostate is a walnut-sized gland that is part of the male reproductive system and its function is to produce the fluid that is part of semen, the fluid that contains sperm. It increases in size as the individual grows, but when it acquires excessive volume it can cause problems. The head of Urology Service of the Hospital Quirónsalud Marbellathe doctor Pablo Navarro Vilchez explains that the prostate gland “experiences growth from the age of 40, at which time the tissue thickens in the area surrounding the urethra and can cause discomfort.”
As the expert points out, “in most cases these are problems linked to the action of urination. That is, they urinate more frequently, get up more times at night to urinate, or perceive an urgent need to urinate several times a day. Also the decrease in strength, urine retention or even its loss are symptoms that may reflect a pathology related to the prostate.
The urologist at the Costa del Sol hospital assures that “it is very common to confuse the symptoms derived from benign prostate growth with the prostate cancer, because the clinical manifestations of both are very similar”. In his opinion, it is important to point out that “there is a high percentage of prostate cancers that do not show their face and are only detected in check-ups.”
Prostate cancer is the most frequent tumor in men in Spain. According to the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM), in 2023 more than 29,000 cases will be diagnosed. It is the most common tumor in men, and it ranks as the third cause of cancer mortality, behind lung and digestive cancers.
Due to the high prevalence of the disease, the doctor emphasizes the need to arrange visits of prevention with the specialist. Especially if you are over 45 years of age, the age at which specialists advise arranging a visit with your urologist once a year.
Finally, the head of the Urology Service at Hospital Quirónsalud Marbella calms down those who feel uncomfortable or nervous before their appointment with the urologist. “The review is very simple and the assessment is always carried out on an individual basis. It is important to establish a relationship of trust between the two and listen carefully to the symptoms that the patient describes, ”he subscribes.
Main prostate problems
• Benign prostatic hyperplasia: very frequent in older men from the age of 40; occurs when the prostate has become enlarged but is not cancerous, it is not thought to increase the risk of prostate cancer, even if the early symptoms are the same.
• Prostate cancer: the most common in men and the second cause of cancer death in our environment; Its incidence increases with age, and it is estimated that at 80 years of age, 80% of men have it.
• Prostatitis: very common infection usually caused by bacteria; infections that are transmitted through sexual contact can cause it.
The Quirónsalud Hospital Group currently has eight hospital centers in Andalusia located in the cities of Malaga, MarbellaLos Barrios (Cádiz), three in Seville (Sagrado Corazón, Infanta Luisa, Materno-Infantil), Córdoba and Huelva, in addition to 18 specialty and diagnostic medical centers and a surgical day hospital, which position it as a private hospital leader in this autonomous community