Quirónsalud will make free tests for the early detection of prostate cancer

The initiative consists of carrying out free PSA tests and consultation with the urologist with prior appointment requests to males from the general population and patients from the hospital center aged 45 and over, and from 40 years if they have a family history.
Thanks to the PSA, which is measured in a simple blood test, the specialist can establish the value of this protein synthesized by the prostate, whose value increases in the presence of a tumor. As explained by doctor Sven Petry, head of the Urology Unit at Quirónsalud Torrevieja . "The fact that the tumor cells produce it in greater quantity can determine in which people it is more probable to find this type of cells and decide to investigate or not the presence of these cells, by means of a prostate biopsy, depending on the potential benefits and risks that may derive from their diagnosis and treatment. " PSA levels increase with age, so that men without prostate cancer will have higher PSA values ​​as they get older: "If at forty-five years old we consider a normal index a value of less than 1.5, until sixty-five years old this index of normality moves to 2.5 and so on," explains the specialist.

The objective of the campaign is to raise awareness among the population about the importance of prevention and early detection for a good prognosis of this disease. The intention is "to inform and raise awareness in society about prostate cancer, since there is a low perception of the risk of suffering from it. Curing prostate cancer is possible if it is detected early, "explains Dr. Petry.

90% of cases can be cured

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in the world in men and the first in incidence in Europe. Each year about 25,000 new cases are diagnosed in Spain, of which between 20% and 30% are patients who have relapsed in the disease. "However, when detected early, this tumor can be cured in 90% of cases," cautions Dr. Petry. Prostate cancer, except for advanced stages, rarely produces any symptoms; hence the importance of PSA, which allows the early detection of this disease in asymptomatic patients.

How to access the tests

It is not necessary to go on an empty stomach and it will be performed at Hospital Quirónsalud Torrevieja. The analytical period will be from September 10 to 14 and interested persons may request information from Friday, September 7 from Monday to Friday from 10 am to 2 pm. Calls will be made through telephone 966 90 95 06, in the email prevencion.trv@quironsalud.es or through the web http://www.quironsalud.es/torrevieja/es.

About Quirónsalud

Quirónsalud is the most important hospital group in Spain, and the third largest in Europe. It can be found in 13 autonomous communities in Spain, has state-of-the-art technology and offers over 6,500 beds in more than 100 healthcare centres, such as Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Hospital Universitario Quirónsalud Madrid, Hospital Universitario Dexeus, Ruber, Centro Médico Teknon, Hospital La Luz, Policlínica de Guipúzcoa, Hospital Quirónsalud Valencia, etc., as well as a huge team of highly qualified professionals of international prestige.

We promote teaching (seven of our centres are university hospitals) and medical and scientific research (we run the FJD [Spanish acronym, Jiménez Díaz Foundation] Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria [Healthcare Research Institute], the only private research centre licensed by the Secretaría de Estado de Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación [Ministry for Research, Development and Innovation]).

Likewise, our healthcare service is organised in units and crosscutting networks that allow for the optimisation of accumulated experience at difference centres, and the clinical application of our research. Currently, Quirónsalud is developing many research projects across Spain, and many of its healthcare centres carry out cutting edge work in this field, as pioneers in different specialisations such as radiology, cardiology, endocrinology, gynaecology, neurology, oncology and sports medicine, among others.