The support of the partner is essential to successfully meet the diagnosis of prostate cancer

with an early diagnosis, the possibilities of healing increase 90%

-try to understand the patient and collect the maximum information through professionals are keys to manage the situation.

– the possibility of affecting the process to the the couple’s sexual life, must keep lines of communication open and speak naturally.

Madrid, March 2012.- Before the diagnosis of prostate cancer, the patient is facing a very difficult situation emotionally where the support of his closest environment, but above all of your partner, is helpful. For this reason, it is important that the spouse be prepared and report to deal with the process and contribute to make it more bearable as possible for both.

It is normal that, upon receipt of a story like this, both the patient and his partner feel fear at the prospect of dying. Before this fear, it must not lose the calm and take into account that currently a tumor is not synonymous with a certain death. Today, if prostate cancer is diagnosed early, the chances of healing increase 90%.

Due to the unrest in which the patient will be found, it is great help your partner to accompany him to the consultation to understand the situation and the process will continue, as well as to raise all the doubts that may be necessary with specialist with him. Possess the most possible information on the current state and future aid options to deal with the process with greater peace of mind. Receive a professional psychological support may also be helpful.

Problems in the relationship

Faced with a situation of this kind, it is important that channels of communication between the pair remain open. Dialogue and understanding are essential to be able to endure and which does not harm the relationship between the two. It should take into account that it is very likely that the patient suffers sudden mood changes, alterations of self-esteem is more susceptible or go through moments of depression, it will be important to put in place and try to understand him.

On the other hand, the possibility that whole process affect sexual relations. Occasionally, the patient can suffer from impotence or erectile dysfunction with the appearance of the tumor or as a result of the applied treatment. The decrease in sexual ability is something that can also psychologically affect males and females, further destabilizing its mood and self-esteem. It is important to address these potential problems in advance with total naturalness, and especially trying to understand the feelings of both members of the couple.

In this regard, we note that there are treatments for prostate cancer with which there is a lower risk of suffering from impotence than with others. Such is the case of prostate brachytherapy, which consists in the implantation of small radioactive seeds (iodine-125) directly inside the prostate. According to a recent survey by the Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO), the Hospital de Bellvitge and the Municipal Institute of medical research (IMIM-Hospital del Mar), along with other Spanish of prestigious medical institutions, prostate brachytherapy is the treatment that offers better quality of life for the patient to radiation therapy and Prostatectomy.

It must be borne in mind that the only prostate brachytherapy can be applied in tumors of low and intermediate risk that have not spread to adjacent organs. In other words, still are located in the interior of the gland. Therefore detect the presence of cancer in time is of great importance that the patient suffers as little as possible and, in addition, increase the possibilities of healing.

Therefore, men must become annual urological reviews when they reach age 50 (45, if there is a family history) to have no inconvenience. This is due to prostate cancer don’t have symptoms until that is very advanced.