Mumbai: Awareness about prostate cancer among Indian men is low, with only around three in 10 surveyed knowing that urologists treat the condition, according to a five-city survey conducted during prostate cancer awareness month in Sept.




Nearly six in 10 aged 45 and above did not know whether they had ever been screened for prostate cancer, the survey found.




Around 40,000 new cases of prostate cancer are reported in India every year, making it one of the common cancers among Indian men. Yet, the survey, conducted by a not-for-profit health awareness organisation among 1,036 graduates in Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad, found that about 75% believed monitoring should begin only at age 50 or later.




Just 31% had heard of the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test and only 14% had specifically requested it. General guidelines recommend discussing PSA screening from age 50 for men at average risk, and from age 40-45 for those at higher risk.




“In our practice in Mumbai, it is very often the wife or an adult child who books the first appointment,” said Dr Sewanti Limaye of Sir H N Reliance Foundation Hospital , Girgaum. Men aged 46-54 were often busy with work and travel, leaving prostate health off their radar, she said, adding that awareness campaigns should address entire households.




Awareness of treatment options was also low, with 71.2% reporting limited knowledge of available options. “Treatment decisions must be guided by the stage of the disease and individual clinical needs,” said senior oncologist Dr Dinesh Pendharkar .