Prostate cancer is one of the main diseases affecting the male population in Bolivia. According to data from the National Program to Combat Cancer (PNLCC) of the Ministry of Health and Sports, between 2016 and 2020, 3,001 new cases and 905 deaths associated with this disease were recorded, representing a mortality rate of 30.2% . This percentage is significantly higher compared to other more frequent types of cancer such as breast cancer (16.4%) and cervical cancer (18.7%).
Analysis by age group reveals that incidence increases with age. In the group of men between 50 and 59 years of age, 280 cases were recorded (1.3% of the total), while in the group aged 60 to 69 years, 849 cases were recorded (4.7%). However, the most affected group is the group aged 70 years and over, with 1,872 cases, representing 62.4% of the diagnoses in the period analyzed.
In Bolivia, the highest figures were recorded in La Paz with 985 cases (32.8%), followed by Santa Cruz with 900 cases (30%) and Cochabamba with 776 cases (25.9%). The departments with the lowest incidence were Pando (5 cases), Beni (12 cases) and Oruro (24 cases).
Manuel Antonio Ramírez Escalera, urologist and professor of Medicine at the Universidad Privada Domingo Savio (UPDS), said that prostate cancer ranks first among cancers in men and is the leading cause of death from this pathology in the country.
As he explained, most patients (80%) come to hospitals when the disease is already in an advanced stage, due to the lack of symptoms in the initial phases. In addition, very few men over 45 years of age undergo routine prostate check-ups, which makes early diagnosis difficult.
Ramirez emphasized that the main prevention strategy in hospitals is early detection through the Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) test and digital rectal examination in men over 50 years of age. However, the low influx of these patients requires reinforcing awareness campaigns, such as health fairs and educational talks, to promote healthy lifestyles and greater education about prostate cancer.
Consequences of late diagnosis of prostate cancer
- Increased mortality: Late diagnosis increases the likelihood of death, as treatment is less effective in advanced stages.
- Economic burden: The high costs of treatment in advanced stages represent an economic burden for families and the health care system.
- Impact on quality of life: Advanced cancer severely affects the patient’s autonomy and well-being, reducing their quality of life.
- Social and emotional repercussions: The disease generates stress and emotional effects on both the patient and his or her close environment.