Debunking the Myths: Separating Fact from Fiction in Prostate Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment

Men and women differ not only in their body structures but also in the hormones they secrete and lifestyle habits, which results in differences in the high incidence of cancer. For men, there are representative male cancers that reduce the quality of life. It is ‘prostate cancer.’ Prostate cancer is known to be a common cancer in the West, but its incidence rate in Korea has been increasing recently. We will learn about how to treat and manage prostate cancer, which threatens men’s health, with Professor Kim Byeong-hoon, a urology specialist.

[김혁 리포터]
Through ‘I have a question,’ we will take a look at the misunderstandings, truth, and curiosity about prostate disease, which can make men depressed or even make them cry.

Sir, the two biggest concerns for men are prostate disease and hair loss. But there is this story. There is a saying that the ingredients of hair loss medicine and prostate enlargement treatment are the same. I think this is wrong, but what do you think?

[김병훈 비뇨의학과 교수]
no. you’re right. This is because hair loss and prostate disease are caused by male hormones. When male hormones are activated in the body and enter cells, they are converted into a substance called dihydrotestosterone. Since this ingredient enlarges the prostate and causes hair loss, drugs that act on the prostate are drugs that inhibit the conversion of male hormones, and are also used as hair loss drugs because they are effective in hair loss through the same mechanism. However, the usage and dosage are slightly different, so prostate medicine should not be used as is for hair loss.

[김혁 리포터]
That’s a big no-no. Teacher, as you get older, your hair tends to turn gray. As a result, there are cases where people dye their hair in order to participate in society. I once heard that ‘hair dye is also a factor in causing bladder disease.’ So, does hair dye affect prostate health?

[김병훈 비뇨의학과 교수]
Since hair dye is a chemical, it is said that it can affect the body to a small extent, but currently, it is not generally known that hair dye causes prostate disease. Although a Finnish study showed some correlation, there is no clear mechanism or correlation yet proven, so I don’t think you need to worry too much about common hair dyes.

[김혁 리포터]
Sir, some people have jobs that require them to drive for long periods of time. There are many people who work while sitting in the saddle, such as horseback riders or cyclists. I’ve heard that these people have a high risk of developing prostate cancer. Are there actually separate occupations related to prostate cancer?

[김병훈 비뇨의학과 교수]
It can be explained by two mechanisms. First, some say that in occupations that involve a lot of stimulation of the perineum, such as horseback riding, ischemic changes may occur because blood flow does not flow smoothly to that area.

Second, since sitting a lot basically means that physical activity decreases, there is talk that such a decrease in physical activity can cause this disease. I think there are two representative mechanisms that can be explained.

However, sitting for a long time does not necessarily lead to prostate cancer, and sitting for a long time does not necessarily lead to prostatitis, so exercising appropriately will suffice.

[김혁 리포터]
There is no need to be overly sensitive and overreact. That’s what I think. Sir, there is a rumor that shift workers are more likely to develop prostate cancer. This doesn’t make sense, does it?

[김병훈 비뇨의학과 교수]
I also looked into it after hearing the story, and there was a research paper that was over a dozen years old. There is a research paper that says that through a population survey, there is a tendency for prostate cancer to occur more often in shift workers among day workers, night workers, and shift workers. Since it is only an old paper and there is no follow-up research, I don’t think you need to worry too much about this.

(Composition Cha Seung-hee)