Is there familial inheritance in prostate cancer? The answer is
Recently, Mr. Chen, who lives in Chuansha, was diagnosed with prostate cancer due to a physical discomfort. Fortunately, he was promptly discovered and underwent surgery. But what Uncle Chen didn't expect was that this disease was actually troubling his three biological brothers at the same time. What exactly is going on? Is there a certain degree of familial inheritance in prostate cancer?
In the urology ward of Pudong New Area People's Hospital, Mr. Chen, who has undergone radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer, has recovered well after surgery. But what surprised Mr. Chen was that his three brothers all had the same condition before and after.
Gu Bin, Chief Physician of the Urology Department of Pudong New Area People's Hospital, said, "Mr. Chen was first diagnosed with an increase in prostate specific antigen due to urinary tract infection. There are generally three possible causes of this increase: prostate infection, prostate hyperplasia, and prostate tumor. At that time, we thought it was the cause of the infection, but Mr. Chen accidentally mentioned that his brother and brother underwent radical prostatectomy surgery in our hospital one year and three years ago, respectively. That's why I was alert. Therefore, I quickly recommended that he be hospitalized to rule out the possibility of prostate cancer. After hospitalization, he underwent prostate cancer biopsy and was diagnosed with early prostate cancer. Because we mentioned his brother's situation, we checked the medical records and found that his brother was in August 2020 in Jiang." Prostate cancer was found during screening at the town community service center
According to global data statistics in 2020, the incidence of prostate cancer ranks second among male malignant tumors; Prostate cancer ranks fifth in tumor mortality rate. Prostate cancer is becoming a disease that threatens the health of middle-aged and elderly men. However, it is puzzling why all three brothers in Mr. Chen's family are troubled by this problem?
Gu Bin said, "Prostate cancer is a malignant tumor highly related to genetics. According to relevant data reports, familial prostate cancer accounts for 10% in foreign countries, while the proportion in China is relatively low, accounting for about 4%. Male patients can be diagnosed with familial prostate cancer if one of their first degree relatives, such as their father or brother, is diagnosed with prostate cancer. If one of their first degree relatives has prostate cancer, the risk of cancer increases by two times, and if two of their first degree relatives have prostate cancer, the risk of cancer increases by five times. For example, if all three brothers in Chen's family have prostate cancer, if there is a fourth brother, the risk of disease increases by ten times. At the same time, the risk of brother disease is higher than that of father and son. If the brother or father has prostate cancer at an age, the risk of disease increases by ten times." "The risk of familial diseases is higher when one falls ill before the age of 65."
The reporter learned that the urology department of Pudong New Area People's Hospital has been continuously sinking its medical consortium community every month since 2020. Currently, it has completed three rounds of free early screening for prostate cancer in seven of its medical consortium communities. Among 1600 male residents aged 50 and above, 1.8 to 2 early prostate cancer patients can be screened for every 100 residents. Experts suggest that if a patient has familial prostate cancer, their first degree relatives should undergo early age screening.
Gu Bin said, "Prostate cancer is closely related to age and is generally more common in middle-aged and elderly men. 98% of prostate cancer patients are middle-aged and elderly men over 50 years old. We generally recommend that men over 50 years old undergo annual prostate cancer screening, PSA index testing, and digital rectal examination. If there are family risk factors for prostate cancer, the screening age should be five years earlier, which means that early screening needs to start at the age of 45."
Text: Li Li
Photography: Min Di
*Reprinted from official WeChat account released by Pudong