Saving Nigerian Men From Postrate Cancer Scourge

Nobody prays to be sick or to have any health condition, but it is without a doubt that sickness and diseases are part of the daily struggle of every human.

One disease facing humans is cancer, which is described as a nightmare of human existence. Globally, cancer is a non-communicable disease and a public health problem affecting all categories of persons and a leading cause of death in developed and developing countries, including Nigeria.

Cancer is a large group of diseases that can start in almost any organ or tissue of the body when abnormal cells grow uncontrollably, go beyond their usual boundaries to invade adjoining parts of the body and spread to other organs.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally, accounting for an estimated 9.6 million deaths, or 1 in 6 deaths, in 2018. Globally, cancer is a public health problem affecting all categories of persons and a leading cause of death in developed and developing countries, including Nigeria.

The cancer burden continues to grow nationally and globally, exerting tremendous physical, emotional and financial strain on individuals, families, communities and health systems.

Prostate, Lung, colorectal, stomach and liver cancer are the most common types of cancer in men, while breast, colorectal, Lung, cervical and thyroid cancer are the most common among women.

Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is a disease that affects the prostate of a man. The prostate is a small walnut-shaped gland in males that produces the seminal fluid that nourishes and transports sperm. Prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancer.

Many prostate cancers grow slowly and are confined to the prostate gland, where they may not cause serious harm. However, while some types of prostate cancer grow slowly and may need minimal or even no treatment, other types are aggressive and can spread quickly.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), cancer has a mortality rate of over 80 per cent. With prostate cancer now the number one cancer killer of Nigerian men, physicians said most men in Nigeria die from prostate cancer due to low awareness about the disease.

A recent report by the health organisation shows that within four years, deaths from prostate cancer in Nigeria increased by almost 100 per cent, killing 26 men daily, up from 14 men every day.

The rate of prostate cancer among Nigerian men is alarming and outrageous, given the fact that the disease is not manageable to detect but is curable if caught early. Prostate cancer risk factors could be classified as modifiable (can be changed) and non-modifiable (cannot be changed).

The major non-modifiable risk factors include age, race and family history of prostate cancer. The chance of having prostate cancer rises rapidly after age 50. Prostate cancer occurs more often in Africans at an earlier age and is more aggressive in blacks.

Men who are obese have a higher risk of getting more aggressive prostate cancer. Smoking has been linked to a possible slight increase in the risk of death from prostate cancer. While risk factors do not tell everything, every man should be aware of the symptoms of prostate cancer.

If a blood relative, such as a father or brother, has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, the risk of the person having the disease may be increased. The risk is higher for men who have a brother with the disease than for those with an affected father. Men with several affected relatives have a much higher risk, mainly if their relatives were young at the time the cancer was found.

Symptoms Of Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer may cause no signs or symptoms in its early stages. However, advanced prostate cancer may cause signs and symptoms such as difficulty in passing urine, Erectile dysfunction, poor urine flow, Losing weight without trying, bloody urine, blood in the semen, frequent passage of urine, inability to hold urine, Decreased force in the stream of urine, bone pain, and numbness in the legs or loss of bladder or bowel control.

Complications Of Prostate Cancer

The spread of cancer to organs is called metastasizing and is a major cause of death from cancer. Prostate cancer can spread to nearby organs, such as the bladder, or travel through the bloodstream or lymphatic system to the bones or other organs.

Prostate cancer that spreads to the bones can cause pain and broken bones. Once it spreads to other body areas, it may still respond to treatment and be controlled, but it is unlikely to be cured.

Both prostate cancer and its treatment can cause urinary incontinence. Treatment for incontinence depends on your type, how severe it is and the likelihood it will improve over time. Treatment options may include medications, catheters and surgery.

Prostate cancer or its treatment, which includes surgery, radiation or hormone treatments, can lead to erectile dysfunction. Medications, vacuum devices that assist in achieving erection and surgery are available to treat erectile dysfunction.

Prevention Of Prostate Cancer

The risk of prostate cancer can be prevented by choosing a healthy diet full of fruits and vegetables and choosing healthy foods over supplements. Also, another way to prevent prostate cancer is to exercise, which improves overall health and maintains weight and mood.

Another way to prevent the risk of having prostate cancer is to maintain a healthy weight and create a plan for healthy weight loss. If someone has a very high risk of prostate cancer, he should talk to his doctor about prevention.

Screening for Prostate Cancer

Prostate-Specific Antigen test is a leading prostate cancer screening method, popularly known as the PSA test. The PSA test is a blood test used to measure the amount of prostate-specific antigen in the blood.

According to a nonprofit American academic medical centre, Mayo Clinic, the PSA is a protein produced by both cancerous and noncancerous tissue in the prostate.

The centre stated that PSA screening could help detect the disease early when treatment may be more effective and potentially have fewer side effects, adding that it is available and affordable.

In an interview with Naija News, a Urologist at a private hospital in Lagos State, Dr Emeka Okafor, said while the reason behind the high mortality rate of prostate cancer in the country is not far–fetched, lack of awareness, inadequate infrastructure and manpower for cancer prevention and treatment has fuelled its incidence in Nigeria.

Okafor maintained it is important for every man to know his risk of prostate cancer as well as the signs and symptoms to improve prostate cancer survivor.

He said: “The risk factors of prostate cancer could be classified as modifiable (can be changed) and non-modifiable (cannot be changed). The major non-modifiable risk factors include age, race and family history of prostate cancer. The chance of having prostate cancer rises rapidly after age 50.

“Having a father or brother with prostate cancer more than doubles one’s risk. The risk is higher for men who have a brother with the disease than for those with an affected father. Men with several affected relatives have a much higher risk, particularly if their relatives were young at the time the cancer was found.

“The modifiable risk factors include diet, obesity, smoking, workplace exposures and sexual activity. Men who eat a lot of red meat or high-fat dairy products appear to have a slightly higher chance of getting prostate cancer.

“Men who are obese have a higher risk of getting more aggressive prostate cancer. Smoking has been linked to a possible small increase in the risk of death from prostate cancer. There is evidence that firefighters are exposed to toxic combustion products that may increase their risk.

“While risk factors do not tell everything, every man should be aware of the symptoms of prostate cancer. This comes as prostate cancer occurs more often in Africans at an earlier age and is more aggressive in blacks.

“With difficulty in passing urine, poor urine flow, bloody urine, frequent passage of urine, especially at night and, inability to hold urine, weakness or numbness in the legs/feet/even loss of bladder or bowel control from cancer pressing on the spinal cord are symptoms associated with prostate cancer, the need to address this worrisome health issue, many Nigerians believe is not negotiable given the implication to productivity and national economy.

“There is an urgent need to make prostate cancer screening widely available and accessible to all Nigerian men. According to the World Health Organisation, “We cannot treat our way out of the cancer problem. More commitment to prevention and early detection is desperately needed in order to complement improved treatments and address the alarming rise in cancer burden globally.

“An excellent way of providing easily accessible prostate cancer screenings would be the deployment of Mobile Cancer Centres (MCC), which would take holistic health promotion to the grassroots of Nigeria. The campaign to actualise this is the present focus of CECP-Nigeria.

“An MCC is not the same as a Mobile Mammogram. Rather, it is a clinic on wheels, in which screening, follow-up and treatment (including surgeries) can take place. It includes facilities for mammography, sonology, colonoscopy, colposcopy and cryotherapy, and a surgical theatre.

“It is also equipped with a laboratory for screening against certain cancers like prostate, colon and bladder cancer and other common diseases which are known to increase the risk of cancer. These include malaria, diabetes, hepatitis, kidney disease, hypertension and HIV/AIDS. The MCC would tackle the double burden of disease, i.e. Communicable and non-communicable, with each MCC costing N95m.”

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