Hyperplasia of the prostate, the most common benign tumor in men over 50 years.

Primary care physicians now have a guideline to know to diagnose and treat diseases of the prostate

• The family doctor is the first step for patients in dealing with a possible prostate disease.

• The cases of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in primary health care equal to that of hypertension in men older than 50 years.

• The Clinical Document SEMERGEN is a tool for professional advice.



Urological diseases associated with the prostate are becoming more frequent reason for consulting the primary care physician, so the Spanish Society of Primary Care Physicians (SEMERGEN) has developed a clinical paper (SEMERGEN Doc) for family physicians in order to enhance their training in diagnosing, treating and monitoring prostate disease.

"The high prevalence of these diseases," says Dr. Francisco Brenes, coordinator of the group of Urology SEMERGEN, family physicians must know the keys to more useful for the diagnosis and most appropriate use of various alternative therapies " . Among these conditions, underlines the benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) which is the most common benign tumor in men over 50 years and the second leading cause of surgery. Dr. Brenes This information is in the SEMERGEN Doc, adds that it is not known, for example, that "the prevalence of BPH is equally hypertension in men older than 50 years."

In developing the SEMERGEN Doc takes into account national guidelines and international importance. This paper, sponsored by Astellas Pharma laboratory, the group has participated in the Society of Urology, composed of primary care physicians (AP) involved and trained in urology and a specialist in urology that has focused specifically on part of surgical treatment of BPH.

Incidence of prostate disease
Prostatic diseases that are usually in the doctor's office of AP vary with age of the patient. Dr. Francisco Brenes that "between 30 and 40 years dominated problems inflammatory, infectious, such as prostatitis. After 50 years of BPH appears, and when the patient is over 60 years, symptoms may be associated with prostate cancer. "

According to the doctor, family physician at the health center in Badalona Llefià, "when a patient comes to the consultation did not say what it is," and thought "one must know how to interpret the symptoms and detect problems such "that affects a large proportion of the population.

Currently, in Spain, BPH is the leading cause of urological consultation. While the symptoms of prostatitis (infection or inflammation) of the prostate leads to 1% of all visits to family doctor and 8% of those of the urologist. With regard to prostate cancer, one in six men will develop this disease during their lifetime, 9 out of 10 cases occurred in patients older than 65 years and 70% of patients with this tumor runs the risk of developing metastases.

Dr. Brenes defends the family doctor is the first step for patients in dealing with any disease, so you should be able to provide solutions to some of these pathologies. Notes that "almost mandatory" BPH is one of them, like the protastitis "If it is not very complicated and acute, can be assessed by the primary physician."

Europe at a disadvantage
Dr. Francisco Brenes concludes that these documents will increase the level of knowledge of family physicians in the field of urology, which is currently at a disadvantage compared to their counterparts in Europe. For Brenes, for example, "the family doctor makes very little Spanish DRE. In other countries like England or Denmark, 70% of family physicians in a patient with urinary tract symptoms you do a touch. In Spain only 20%. "