In Panama, the 99.4% of men surveyed have heard of prostate cancer; however, the 42% of those who are part of the population at risk There has never been a test to detect this disease.
These data are part of a national survey on knowledge, attitudes and practices related to prostate cancerpresented this week by the National Federation of Associations of Chronic, Critical and Degenerative Diseases (FENAECCD) and prepared by the firm Emotional Market Intelligence (EMI)).
The study, called ‘Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices regarding prostate cancer in the male population of the Republic of Panama’, identified a contradiction between the information that men handle and their prevention habits. The organization called this phenomenon the ‘Men’s Health Paradox’.
According to the results, 82% of the participants consider that they have adequate information about the disease, while 80% identify that preventive controls should begin between 40 and 45 years of age. However, among those who have never had an exam, 36.7% indicated that they do not consider it necessary because they do not feel pain or discomfort.
The survey also identified obstacles related to the functioning of the health system, the costs of care and working conditions.
He 60.5% of respondents mentioned long waiting times to get a medical appointment as one of the main barriers to access. Added to this is that 39.8% reported difficulties in obtaining an appointment with a urology specialist.
In the economic sphere, 68% indicated that the cost of consultations, laboratory tests and medications represents their main difficulty. In addition, 38% of workers stated that they cannot take the exams due to the impossibility of being absent from their jobs or the risk of losing the work day.
Given this panorama, the FENAECCD proposed a roadmap with four actions aimed at health authorities, private companies and civil society.
Among the proposals is promoting the use of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood testrecognized by 73% of the men surveyed. The organization seeks to inform the population that general practitioners can also request this test, without the patient having to initially go to a urologist.
Likewise, it proposes to develop screening campaigns in public care centers for the population at risk and establish alliances with companies to facilitate paid work permits and mobile sampling days in the workplace.
Another recommendation is to reorient awareness campaigns under the message ‘Prevent when you feel well’, with emphasis on the fact that the absence of symptoms does not rule out the disease.
The federation also proposes taking advantage of the channels that men use to obtain information: social networks, mentioned by 60% of the participants; medical consultations, by 53%; and internet, also by 53%.
The research was carried out through an online survey, with participant recruitment through social networks. The sample was made up of 512 men over 30 years of age from different parts of the country and a weighted base of 559 data was reported.
The results highlight that, in addition to expanding information on prostate cancer, Panama faces the challenge of facilitating access to preventive controls and reducing the barriers that prevent men from timely accessing health services.
Enma Pinzón, president of the FENAECCD, considers that the low prevention of prostate cancer in Panama responds to cultural myths, misinformation and economic and access barriers to the health system.
Pinzón identified two myths that must be overcome: the fear of rectal examination and the belief that it is essential to go to a urologist to begin check-ups. The leader also insisted that the absence of symptoms does not mean that there is no risk.
“When you detect cancer at an early stage, many times you don’t have any symptoms,” he warned.
For this reason, it is considered essential to change the perception that you should only go to the doctor when some discomfort appears.
Regarding institutional responsibilities, Pinzón proposed separating prostate cancer prevention campaigns from breast cancer prevention campaigns and moving awareness activities to June, when World Prostate Cancer Day is commemorated. In his opinion, the joint campaign reduces the visibility of the male disease.
“We do not detract from the importance of breast cancer, but it completely overshadows prostate cancer,” he said.
He also called for strengthening primary care, reducing difficulties in getting medical appointments and promoting paid work permits so that workers can undergo check-ups. As an example of an initiative that should be maintained, he mentioned a health fair promoted by the Ministry of Health, in which, as he indicated, 11,000 men took the PSA test.
“It is easier to go on a weekend, knowing that you will not have to pay anything and that the service will be completely free,” he expressed when defending the continuity of these days on a national scale.
Finally, he explained that the federation will follow up on three proposals: separate the prevention campaigns for prostate cancer and breast cancer, promote massive national screening and strengthen primary care so that men periodically visit a general practitioner.
For his part, the national deputy director of Primary Health Care of the Social Security Fund (CSS) and specialist in family medicine, Hiram Martinassured during the presentation of the report last Thursday that the important thing is that patients take the initiative and carry out the corresponding evaluations to prevent the progression of the disease.
