Prostate cancer is gradually becoming alarming in Nigeria due to the negative attitude of most men concerning their health and lack of regular comprehensive health check-ups. In America, it is a killer disease which kills more than 29,000 men every year, making it the third leading cancer-related cause of death for men.
Prostate cancer occurs in the prostate, a small walnut-shaped gland in men that produces the seminal fluid that nourishes and transports sperm. Usually it grows slowly and is initially confined to the prostate gland, where it may not cause serious harm.
However early detection is the key to successfully treating prostate cancer and lowering the mortality rate.
When detected early, the chance of five-year survival is nearly 100 percent. However, if the cancer is left unchecked and allowed to spread beyond the region of the prostate, the chance of five-year survival drops to 29 percent.
The most common prostate cancer test is the PSA, or prostate-specific antigen test. This is a simple blood test that measures the presence of PSA circulating in your bloodstream. This test is usually the first step in any prostate cancer diagnosis.
More than 230 men in Enugu staged a 10-kilometre walk against prostate cancer to create awareness about the disease and its high fatality rate.
The anti-prostate cancer walk, which began from the popular Okpara Square en route Court Road, Ezilo Road and back to Okpara Square, featured distribution of prostate cancer awareness leaflets as well as free testing and counselling.
Briefing journalists after the walk tagged “Men on Blue Initiative,” the Executive Director of Project Pink-Blue, an NGO, Mr Runcie Chidebe, said prostate cancer is a killer disease in men especially those above 40 years.
According to Chidebe, the death rate of prostate cancer in Nigeria is becoming alarming due to the negative attitude of most men concerning their health and lack of regular comprehensive health check-ups.
He appealed to all to encourage everyone to screen themselves, adding that “early detection and treatment save lives.”
The Chairman of the Board of the NGO, Prof. Peter Ebigbo, enjoined Nigeria men to engage in healthy life-style, while engaging in eating, drinking and working moderately with enough rest.
According to Ebigbo, who was formerly a professor of psychological medicine in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, with early detection, the cancer can be operated on and removed or managed and put in check for a very long time.
Addtional Source: Daily Trust
