About 400,000 Swedish men aged 50-80 years suffer from benign prostate problems, and half of them will require treatment. In a recent survey performed by Netdoktor, the daily lives of almost half (49%) of the respondents are governed by finding the nearest toilet. They need to get up at night, and hunt for toilets in the daytime. The survey was commission by ProstaLund.

The primary cause of men seeking medical help is anxiety about their prostate problems. Unfortunately, the doctor does not always share their concern. Despite the availability of several different treatment methods to cure prostate problems, about 50 percent of the respondents' doctors consider that it is something "related to age – wait and see", and leave the patient and his ailment without treatment. This also leaves patients with a nagging worry that their problem could nonetheless be prostate cancer – which it does not need to be.

Poorer quality of life

40 percent of the respondents get up between two and five times each night. BPH (Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia) also affects the partner negatively in the form of disturbed sleep and diminished sex life. As many as 46 percent say that their sleep is disrupted sometimes or the whole time. Half also think that their sex life is affected negatively by prostate problems. More men consider today that their quality of life is poorer in conjunction with their prostate troubles. In a survey performed in 2004, about 20 percent of men experienced an impaired quality of life. Today, the figure is 34 percent who feel that their quality of life has deteriorated. For example, they avoid playing sports, travelling or going out to a restaurant.

Improved reception

The survey also showed the aspects that patients miss in their contact with the doctor: effective treatment, more information about different treatments – advantages and disadvantages, taking problems sincerely, and being received well and taken seriously.

Waiting times

The Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SKL) has a website (vantetider.se) that indicates the length of waiting times for treatment within urology. Most clinics in Sweden currently have at least 13 weeks' waiting time. ./.

For further information, please contact:

Ann Baron, Marketing Manager, +46 (0)70-744 44 80. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it