Introduction:

Malignant prostatic neoplasia originates in the glandular tissue of the prostate and constitutes a significant global public health concern. Its incidence increases with age, with histological evidence observed in 34% of men in their fifties and 70% of those over 80 years old.

Objective:

Determine the knowledge, attitudes and practices about the early diagnosis of prostate cancer in users aged 30 - 89 years of a public health establishment.

Methodology:

A descriptive, observational, and cross-sectional study was conducted using a quantitative approach. The sample consisted of 395 men aged 30 to 89 years.

Results:

The findings indicate that 31.1% of participants identified family history and advanced age as risk factors. The most prevalent barrier was fear of diagnosis (24.3%). The relationship between medical check-up frequency and screening tests (digital rectal examination and PSA test) revealed a low frequency of preventive examinations. The majority of participants (82.8%) did not undergo a digital rectal exam, and 85.3% did not take the PSA test, reflecting low adherence to early detection measures for prostate cancer.

Conclusion:

The study was conducted in a predominantly male population aged 57 to 65 years, with primary education, common-law unions, informal employment, and low income. Negative attitudes were predominant regarding barriers such as fear of diagnosis, lack of knowledge about screening tests, social stigma, and to a lesser extent, cost.