Ezweni lempilo yamadoda, amagama ambalwa afingqiwe anesisindo esikhulu—futhi avusa impikiswano enkulu—njenge-PSA. Ukuhlolwa kwe-Prostate-Specific Antigen, okuwukudonswa kwegazi okulula, kusalokhu kungenye yamathuluzi anamandla kakhulu, kodwa angaqondwa kahle, ekulweni nomdlavuza wendlala. Njengoba iziqondiso zezokwelapha ziqhubeka nokukhula, umyalezo obalulekile kuwo wonke amadoda nomndeni wawo yilo: ingxoxo enolwazi mayelana nokuhlolwa kwe-PSA ayibalulekile nje kuphela; ibalulekile.

Umdlavuza we-prostate uvame ukuba yisifo esithule ezigabeni zaso zokuqala, ezingelapheka kakhulu. Ngokungafani neminye imidlavuza eminingi, ungakhula iminyaka eminingi ngaphandle kokubangela izimpawu ezibonakalayo. Ngesikhathi kuvela izimpawu ezifana nobunzima bomchamo, ubuhlungu bamathambo, noma igazi emchameni, umdlavuza kungenzeka ukuthi usuvele uthuthukile, okwenza ukwelashwa kube nzima kakhulu futhi imiphumela ingaqiniseki. Ukuhlolwa kwe-PSA kusebenza njengohlelo lokuxwayisa kwasekuqaleni. Kulinganisa izinga leprotheni ekhiqizwa yi-prostate gland. Nakuba izinga le-PSA eliphakeme lingelona ukuxilongwa okuqondile komdlavuza—lingakhushulwa futhi yizimo ezivamile, ezingezona ezomdlavuza njenge-Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) noma i-prostatitis—kusebenza njengefulegi elibomvu elibalulekile, okubangela uphenyo olwengeziwe.

Yilapho impikiswano ikhona khona, futhi kuyinto engaqondakali wonke umuntu wesilisa okumele ayiqonde. Esikhathini esidlule, ukukhathazeka "ngokuxilongwa ngokweqile" kanye "nokwelashwa ngokweqile" komdlavuza okhula kancane okungenzeka ungalokothi ube yingozi empilweni kwaholela ezinye izinhlangano zezempilo zomphakathi ukuba zingagcizeleli ukuhlolwa okuvamile. Ukwesaba kwakuwukuthi amadoda ayethola ukwelashwa okunamandla komdlavuza okwakungenangozi kangako, okungenzeka abhekane nemiphumela emibi eshintsha impilo njengokungakwazi ukuzibamba komchamo kanye nokungasebenzi kahle kwenduku yobulili ngokungadingekile.

Kodwa-ke, indlela yesimanje yokuhlola i-PSA isikhule kakhulu. Ushintsho olubalulekile lusuka ekuhlolweni okuzenzakalelayo, okujwayelekile luye ekwenzeni izinqumo ezinolwazi nokwabelana ngazo. Ingxoxo ayisekho nje ngokuthola ukuhlolwa; imayelana nokuba nengxoxo eningiliziwe nodokotela wakho.ngaphambiukuhlolwa. Le ngxoxo kufanele isekelwe ezicini eziyingozi zomuntu ngamunye, okuhlanganisa ubudala (ngokuvamile kusukela eminyakeni engu-50, noma ngaphambi kwalokho kumaqembu asengozini enkulu), umlando womndeni (ubaba noma umfowabo onomdlavuza wendlala yesinye uphinda kabili ingozi), kanye nohlanga (amadoda amnyama aseMelika anezinga eliphezulu lokutheleleka kanye nokufa).

Behlome ngale phrofayili yengozi eyenzelwe wena, indoda nodokotela wayo banganquma ukuthi ukuhlolwa kwe-PSA kuyisinqumo esifanele yini. Uma izinga le-PSA liphakeme, impendulo ayiseyona i-biopsy noma ukwelashwa okusheshayo. Esikhundleni salokho, odokotela manje banezindlela ezahlukahlukene. Bangase batuse "ukubhekwa okusebenzayo," lapho umdlavuza uqashwa eduze ngokuhlolwa kwe-PSA okuvamile kanye nokuhlolwa kwe-biopsies okuphindaphindiwe, kungenelela kuphela uma kukhombisa izimpawu zokuqhubeka. Le ndlela igwema ngokuphephile ukwelashwa kwamadoda anesifo esingengozini ephansi.

Nokho, ukungasinaki isivivinyo se-PSA ngokuphelele, kuwukugembula okunezingozi ezinkulu kakhulu. Umdlavuza we-prostate uyimbangela yesibili ehamba phambili yokufa komdlavuza kwabesilisa. Uma utholakala kusenesikhathi, izinga lokusinda kweminyaka emihlanu licishe libe yi-100%. Ngomdlavuza osakazeke ezingxenyeni ezikude zomzimba, lelo zinga lehla kakhulu. Isivivinyo se-PSA, naphezu kwakho konke ukungapheleli kwaso, siyithuluzi elitholakala kabanzi esinalo lokubamba lesi sifo kuleso sigaba sokuqala neselaphekayo.

Okubalulekile: ungavumeli ingxoxo ikukhubaze. Yiba ngumuntu othatha isinyathelo. Qala ingxoxo nomhlinzeki wakho wezempilo. Qonda ingozi yakho. Cabangela izinzuzo ezingaba khona zokutholwa kusenesikhathi ngokumelene nezingozi ze-alamu ezingamanga. Ukuhlolwa kwe-PSA akuyona ibhola eliphelele, kodwa kuyingxenye ebalulekile yolwazi. Emsebenzini wokuvikela impilo yamadoda, lolo lwazi lungaba umehluko phakathi kokuphila nokufa. Hlela leso sikhathi sokuqokwa, buza imibuzo, bese uthatha izintambo. Ikusasa lakho lizokubonga.

Thina i-baysen yezokwelapha singayinikezaI-PSAfuthii-f-PSAIkhithi yokuhlola esheshayo yokuhlola kusenesikhathi. Uma unesidingo sayo, wamukelekile ukuxhumana nathi ukuthola imininingwane eyengeziwe.