In August, Dr. Aristides Andrade Center for Medical Specialties (CEM) ended the waiting list for prostate biopsies at Sobral. Since the return of procedures, in March of this year, 59 biopsies have been performed.
A biopsy is ordered after abnormal digital and PSA results. For cases where the biopsy result is positive, the director of CEM, Walkiria Viana Landim, explains that an appointment has been made for the patient’s immediate return with the specialist. He explained, “We communicate with the patient to set a date for his return with the urologist, and from this appointment, we make the referral so that the appropriate treatment is carried out.”
It also highlights the importance of zeroing this waiting list. “This ensures that the patient, when referred, has greater agility on duty, bearing in mind that early treatment is important for fighting prostate cancer”pointed out.
Walkiria promotes that patients who arrive at CEM for care with a urologist are referred through Family Health Centers (CSF) across the city. “CSF is the gateway to all specialized services. There the man first performs the first tests that can indicate a risk of prostate cancer, such as a digital rectal examination. Upon noticing any indication, suspicion or abnormal results in the tests, the CSF team, through the municipal regulation team, will refer the patient to the specialized service“.
According to urologist Bruno Maburonga, a biopsy is the only test capable of diagnosing prostate cancer. “This is ordered when there is a high suspicion of disease, when the man has a very high PSA level or, on a digital rectal examination, the doctor determines that there is a suspicious nodule,” Urologist confirmed.
In its early stages, prostate cancer has a silent progression. Many patients do not have symptoms, or when they develop symptoms similar to those of BPH (difficulty urinating and the need to urinate a lot during the day or night). In the advanced stage, it can cause bone pain, urinary symptoms, or, when more severe, a generalized infection or kidney failure.
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