A Brazilian study carried out by physicians from the Oncoclínicas de Brasília group shows that the training and experience of nuclear medicine professionals who perform and evaluate the PET-Psma exam, intended for the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer, have a great influence on the indication of treatment patients and, consequently, their quality of life.
The research results were presented at the Congress of the American Society of Urology (AUA), which took place between April 28 and May 1, in Chicago, in the United States. “The study shows that it is not enough for the patient to have access to the exam, it needs to be in a place with experience in evaluation to help the doctor make the right decisions”, says physician Paulo Lages, an oncologist from Brasília who is the main author of the study.
PET-Psma is the main imaging test for evaluating patients with recurrent prostate cancer – where the individual has had surgery or radiotherapy before – or at high risk. The results often determine the management of the treatment.
“Every approach is based on the best possible pre-treatment assessment. If you have an inaccurate exam to make the decision, it can increase the chances of making a wrong choice, such as unnecessary surgery”, says Lages.
According to the National Cancer Institute, for each year of the three-year period 2020/2022, around 625,000 cases of the disease will be registered in BrazilScience Photo Library – STEVE GSCHMEISSNER, Getty Images
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***photo-woman-without-blouse-with-symbol-against-breast-cancer-Breast cancer is caused by the uncontrolled multiplication of cells in the breast. Although it is common in women, the disease can also affect men. Among the symptoms of the disease are: pain in the breast region, hardened lump, redness, swelling and bloody discharge. Treatment involves surgery to remove the breast, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormone therapy.SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Getty Images
***photo-person-holding-symbol-representing-the-fight-against-prostate-cancerMore frequent in men, prostate cancer has the following symptoms: blood in the urine, difficulty urinating, the need to urinate several times a day and the delay in starting and finishing urinating. Surgery and radiotherapy are among the treatments for the disease.Getty Images
***photo-woman-holding-throatAlthough it may be related to hyperthyroidism, smoking, changes in sex hormones and diabetes, for example, thyroid cancer is still not well understood by experts. Despite this, treatments against the disease involve hormone therapy, radiotherapy, radioactive iodine and chemotherapy, depending on the case. get images
***special-lung-cancer.jpgLung cancer is one of the types with the highest incidence in Brazil. Related to the use or prolonged exposure to smoking, its main symptoms are shortness of breath, chest pain, recurrent pneumonia, bronchitis, bloody sputum and frequent cough. The disease is treated with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or/and surgeryBSIP / Getty images
***photo-offering-cigarette-and-other-denyingIn Brazil, squamous squamous cell carcinoma has the highest incidence among stomach cancers. Treatments involve surgery or radiation therapy and chemotherapyiStock
***photo-man-lying-with-part-of-red-trunk.jpgStomach cancer is diagnosed after identifying malignant tumors spread throughout the organ and which may appear as ulcers. Related to infections caused by Helicobacter Pylori, the presence of ulcers and untreated chronic gastritis, for example, the disease can cause vomiting with blood or blood in the stool, frequent belly pain and constant heartburnSmith Collection/Gado/ Getty Images
***Drawing-uterus-with-cancer-outbreaks-in-the-cervixSymptoms of cervical cancer include intermittent vaginal bleeding, abdominal pain related to bowel or urinary complaints, and abnormal vaginal discharge. Treatment involves chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery.Science Photo Library/GettyImages
***photo-dentist-appointment-mouth-patientOral cancer is a disease that involves the presence of malignant tumors in the lips, gums, roof of the mouth, tongue, cheeks and bones. It is more common in men over 40 years old and has as symptoms wounds in the oral cavity, spots on the tongue and nodules on the neck, for example. Treatment involves surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.Pexels
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The researchers’ objective was to analyze the association of the combined PSA and the Gleason score – a scale that takes into account the cellular and histological characteristics that constitute the tumor – with the detection rates of PET-Psma.
For this, they used an institutional database of patients with biochemical recurrence (BCR) who underwent the scan between October 2015 and July 2022. Participants were stratified based on the time of the scan and a retrospective review was performed.
Considering that the same team has been evaluating the exams since 2015, the data showed that training nuclear medicine professionals improved detection rates. “The study clearly shows that a team with training in evaluating the exam will be responsible for a much greater accuracy, in the sense of being a more reliable exam, so that the doctor can make the decision whether or not to operate on a patient with too much more assertiveness”, clarifies Lages.
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