PROSTATE cancer is becoming one of the most common type of cancer found in men in Nigeria. Prostate cancer is cancer that occurs in the prostate — a small walnut-shaped gland in men that produces the seminal fluid that nourishes and transports sperm.
In 2018, the American Cancer Society estimates that 164,690 men will be newly diagnosed with prostate cancer, 29,430 will die from the disease and 1 in every 9 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetimes.
The prostate cancer survival rate is greatly improved with early detection and personalized treatment.
It is rare for men to develop prostate cancer before age 40. The risk of prostate cancer increases after age 50. Research has proven that more than 80 percent of prostate cancers are diagnosed in people who are 65 or older.
Also, black men are more likely to die from prostate cancer than white men. According to researchers, black men in the United States, and other men of African ancestry, are diagnosed with prostate cancer more than men of other races.
Prostrate cancer that runs in a family, otherwise, called familial prostate cancer develops because of a combination of shared genes and shared environmental or lifestyle factors. It makes for about 20 percent of all prostrate cancers.
Obese men diagnosed with prostate cancer may be more likely to have advanced disease that will be more difficult to treat.
At present, there are no genetic tests available to determine a man’s chance of developing prostate cancer,
Prostate cancer may have no signs or symptoms in its early stages, but such symptoms as difficulty in urinating, decreased force in the stream of urine, erectile dysfunction, blood in semen require medical advise.
To prevent prostrate cancer, it is recommended that you eat very ripe tomatoes, avoid smoking, eat fish rich in omega-3, take nuts, drink coffee, exercise as much as possible, eat a lot of vegetables, fruits, and legumes.
