Carinthia doctors urge prostate screening from age 45

Men in Carinthia should have regular prostate checks from age 45, or from 40 if they have a family history of the disease, urologist Alexandra Fuchs-Samitz told ORF. Around 600 men in the region are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year, making it the most common cancer among men there.

Fuchs-Samitz said early detection can save lives. Screening includes checking prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels and a physical examination. She warned that highly aggressive prostate cancers can sometimes be associated with low PSA levels. A physical examination may also detect prostate cancer and potentially bowel cancer.

Urological check-ups can include ultrasound scans and physical examinations. Doctors may also identify diabetes, check for hidden blood in the urinary tract that could indicate tumours, and assess kidney function. The Austrian Health Insurance Fund pays for annual health checks for women and men aged 18 and over. Breast examinations are relevant for women from age 40.

Hans Peter Gröchenig, head of the internal medicine department at St Veit an der Glan Hospital, said on ORF’s Kärnten heute programme that prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men, followed by lung and bowel cancer. In women, breast cancer is the most common, followed by lung and bowel cancer.

About 35,000 people in Carinthia have cancer, with around 3,700 new diagnoses each year. On average, 10 people are diagnosed and five die from cancer daily, Gröchenig said. About half of those eligible take part in general health checks in the region, while participation in specific screenings for cancers such as prostate and breast cancer is about 30 per cent. Gröchenig said this leaves Austria behind other countries in cancer prevention.

He called for easier access to screening. Bowel cancer checks are recommended from age 45 as the disease is increasingly affecting younger people, but waits in Carinthia are three to six months. Gröchenig urged politicians to improve access. Statistics Austria figures show Carinthia has the country’s highest rate of diagnosed new cancer cases, which he attributed to a combination of thorough data collection, an older population and lifestyle factors.