Urologist Dr. Flip Jansen ‘it is high time to remove prostate complaints from the taboo atmosphere’
Urologist Flip Jansen: ‘this is what you need to know about your prostate’
Over the age of 60, half of men have an enlarged prostate. And every year, 14,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer. Time for a conversation with urologist Dr. Flip Jansen. ‘When faced with prostate complaints, many men think: I’ll just ignore these complaints for a while.’
Urologist Dr. Flip Jansen: ‘If everything goes well, as a man you won’t even notice that you have a prostate. It is a gland that ensures that sperm cells can survive longer outside the body during ejaculation. It mainly plays a role in reproduction. Did you know that after puberty a prostate is about the size of a walnut?’
What is the most common complaint?
‘These are the complaints that are the result of a benign prostate enlargement. The funny thing about a prostate is that it continues to grow as you get older. This happens faster for some people than for others. The prostate is attached to the bottom of the bladder. And the urethra runs right through it. Because the prostate continues to grow, the urethra is slowly closed. This can cause urination problems. You notice this because you have to urinate more often. Or because the force of the jet clearly decreases when urinating. This occurs in men aged 50 and over.’
How do you find out that it is a benign prostate enlargement?
‘By doing research. A urologist can feel the prostate in the hospital and do additional blood tests. We also often perform an ultrasound or MRI scan. What is important to know: the complaints can differ from man to man. Is it a benign prostate enlargement or something else? That is the puzzle I solve as a urologist.’
Listen to the interview with Flip Jansen at NH Gooi Consultation Hour
Is an enlarged prostate dangerous?
‘It is not dangerous in itself. Urination can cause increasing problems. Then it is wise to go to the doctor. If you ignore it for a long time, you may suffer from kidney problems. What also happens is that at a certain point you are no longer able to urinate. Then we have to intervene urgently in the hospital. We do this by inserting a catheter into the bladder. Then we investigate. With a benign prostate enlargement, complaints can often be resolved with medication. And if it doesn’t work, we perform an operation to make more room on the inside for the urethra. We call that ‘peeling’ the prostate.’
And prostate cancer, how do you notice that you have it?
‘Prostate cancer does not actually cause symptoms very often. In most cases it occurs on the outside of your prostate. That does not press as quickly on the urethra that runs through it. That is why urinary complaints due to prostate cancer are relatively rare. It often happens that we discover prostate cancer in addition to a benign prostate enlargement. Men whose disease has spread may experience bone pain or weight loss.’
What treatments are possible for prostate cancer?
‘You can roughly say that if the cancer is only in the prostate, we will try to cure you of prostate cancer. This can be done with radiation or surgery. We work intensively with other hospitals in this regard. It is good to know that if the cancer is only in the prostate and is not aggressive, it is often not necessary to start treatment. Because in that case a treatment has more disadvantages than advantages. We will keep a close eye on you to see how the cancer develops. If the cancer has spread beyond the prostate, in most cases it can no longer be cured. Fortunately, there are now many options to slow down the disease. In most cases you will no longer die from prostate cancer. We increasingly see it as a chronic disease and can keep it well under control for a long time.’
Listen to our podcast about prostate cancer
How can you help the patient decide on this and who else is involved?
‘With aggressive variants of prostate cancer we have to make a choice between surgery or radiation. Or if the cancer has spread, you can choose whether or not to start medication. Together we list the pros and cons and decide together on the most suitable treatment. Treatment can have consequences in the area of urination. And often it also has sexual consequences. That is why the partner is also involved in these conversations. In metastatic prostate cancer, the oncologist also plays an important role in the treatment. If you choose radiation, the radiological therapist will think along with you. You will also have to deal with the oncological nurse who supervises you.’
What advice do you have for men with urinary complaints?
‘Benign prostate enlargement and prostate cancer cannot be prevented. However, there are indications that diet plays a limited role. Sometimes it occurs more often in certain families. There are no population studies for prostate cancer yet. It is simply very difficult to detect it with a simple test. That makes it difficult to set up a good population survey for this. When faced with prostate complaints, many men think: I’ll just ignore these complaints for a while. But it is very wise to go to the doctor. He can get a first impression with a few tests. To see if you really need to worry. Really, it is high time to remove prostate complaints from the taboo atmosphere.’
In the urological field, we are working increasingly intensively with other hospitals. Read the article in which we explain why we do this and what patients benefit from it.
2023-12-12 08:54:27
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