Doctor Advises On Prostate Cancer

A medical doctor has advised men over 40 years to abstain from diets rich in animal fats so as to reduce the risk of prostate cancer.

Dr Sola Talabi told newsmen in Abeokuta that prostate cancer is a common cause of death in men.

Talabi, who is of the State Hospital, Ijaye, Abeokuta said that prostate cancer starts in the prostate gland.

He defined the prostate as a small, walnut-sized structure that makes up part of a man’s reproductive system.

According to him, people who are at higher risk include men above 60 years, men with excessive alcohol habit, farmers and men who have a family history.

Others are painters, men who indulge in diets high in fats, especially animal fat and men who have been exposed to cadmium.

He noted that some of the associated symptoms might however, not result in prostate cancer.

Some of the symptoms include delayed urine, blood in urine or semen, leakage of urine after urinating, low back or pelvic bone pain and a slow urinary stream.

A common problem in most men as they grow older is an enlarged prostate but the problem does not raise the risk of prostate cancer.

According to Talabi, a blood test is often done to screen men for prostate cancer which can be treated before it develops

Prostate biopsy is the only test that can confirm the diagnosis which is an examination of a tissue from the prostate.

Talabi said that treatment might be based on the history of the risk factor associated with the patient’s prostate cancer.

“The treatment for the cancer may not always be clear. Sometimes, your doctor may recommend a treatment because of what is known about your risk factors,’’ he said.

He stated that the treatment could either be radiation therapy, chemotherapy or surgery.

“Prostate cancer that has spread may be treated with drugs to reduce testosterone levels, surgery to remove the testes, or chemotherapy,’’ he said.

According to Talabi, possible side effects after surgery can include difficulty in controlling urine or bowled movements and erection problems.