A Resident Doctor at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Idi-Aba, Abeokuta, Olutoke Abraham, has dismissed the belief identifying low sexual activity as a major contributor to prostate cancer in men.
The medical expert said contrary to the belief, age, smoking, obesity among others have been identified as some of the factors responsible for the cancer.
Abraham stated this while speaking with newsmen on the sidelines of a medical outreach organised by the Rotary Club of Abeokuta Royal for phone accessories traders at the Tarmac phone village in Abeokuta.
Quoting statistics, Abraham said prostate cancer has become the number one cancer in Nigerian men, and it constitutes 11% of all male cancers.
He called for regular checkups to enable early detection.
“There is this general myth that reduced sexual activity or increased sexual activity is a contributor to prostate cancer occurring in an individual. That is not true. Neither of the two will cause prostate cancer in an individual. Rather age, smoking and obesity have been linked to the increased likelihood of having prostate cancer.
“We have quite a number of men living with this cancer, the risk factor says men above the age of 50 years of African ancestry and that is what we are here in Nigeria,” he said.
Abraham, while insisting on regular checkups, expressed worry over men’s low patronage of hospitals compared to women’s.
“Studies have shown that women readily have a better health-seeking behaviour than men. Men because of so many reasons forget to take care of themselves at the expense of taking care of other people and trying to make money to care for our family and loved ones.
“Yes, there is a reduced patronage of hospitals by men compared to women. So, men should take care of themselves,” he added.
Prostate cancer is the growth of tumours in the prostate gland. Only men have a prostate which is a walnut-sized gland between the rectum and the penis and creates a fluid to be mixed with sperm to create semen.
Nigeria has the highest number of deaths from prostate cancer with 8, 382 (58.5%) deaths out of the 14,334 deaths recorded globally in 2020.
Symptoms of prostate cancer include trouble urinating, decreased force in the stream of urine, blood in semen, discomfort in the pelvic area, bone pain as well as erectile dysfunction.
Findings reveal that a large number of Nigerian men who were diagnosed of prostate cancer, presented late at stages III or IV, when the prostate cancer has spread to other vital organs of the body.
Daily Trust reports that there is still a lot of ignorance about the disease and inadequate treatment facilities and equipment across the country. Lack of finances for proper treatment also leaves patients and their families suffering untold hardships.
Also speaking at the event, the President Rotary Club Abeokuta royal, Rotarian Ganiyat Kazeem, said the medical outreach tagged ‘Rotary Family Health Day’ was part of the activity marking the polio week.
Kazeem explained that the outreach which covered not less than 200 beneficiaries includes HIV test, COVID-19 awareness, prostate cancer, wider test, among others.
“This is polio week and rotary family health day. So, this is what we do and it’s happening all over the world. It starts from 24 -26 of October and as we speak, we have over 200 beneficiaries that would be benefitting,” she said.
