Dr Igbokwe Martin, a urologist, says prostate cancer is more aggressive on black men, calling for more awareness on the disease.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Sunday in Abuja, Martin said that increased awareness would help in early detection and treatment to curb mortality.
He explained that prostate cancer was an abnormal growth that occured in the prostate gland.
“It is the most common cancer among men, especially men of black descent everywhere in the world.
“We see the disease in the younger group, and it is the type that can progress fast and kill the person,” he said.
According to him, cancer awareness must be taken serious because in spite of the fact that it is a fatal disease, enlightenment can help with early detection and increases victims’ chances of survival.
He said that the disease mostly affected men from 50 years and above, adding that; “this is a group of men we screen for this disease.”
Martin said that the disease, which was associated with genetics, was caused by certain mutations in black genes, and so was more prevalent among black men compared to their white counterparts.
The urologist advised men from 50 years of age and above, to take the Prostate-Specific Antigen test (PSA) test.
Martin explained that PSA test was a blood test used primarily to screen for prostate cancer.
Some men who were interviewed by NAN mostly did not know of the disease nor have any idea how dangerous the disease was.
Mr Uche Raphael, a 47-year-old businessman, said that he knew about prostrate, but was not aware of how the disease affected men.
“I used to hear of prostate cancer, but I never knew how serious it was.
“So what I do not know about, I cannot really take any precautions on it.”
Mr Kayode Olasanmi, 51, a resident of Lugbe, a satellite town in the FCT, said that he had not gone for any checkup for prostate cancer because of lack of knowledge of the disease.
“I have not gone to check for any prostrate because I do not believe in it, besides I do not even know much about it, if it kills or not,” Olasanmi said.
He therefore, advised government to carry out more sensitisation on the disease, to enable people go for early screening. (NAN)
