He said , "Being a black person increases your risk of prostate cancer, not only black communities in Africa, even in UK and the U.S".
“So, there is something about being African that increases our risk of prostate cancer; there is higher incidence of prostate cancer in black men compared to white men.
“Prostate affects only men; it is the commonest type of cancer that kills men.
“The common risk factor is genetics; if your father had prostate cancer there is a five per cent to 10 per cent risk that you could have it.
“Smoking is a risk factor; if you are a smoker your risk is almost 1.5 per cent increased.
“Alcohol, taking of excessive alcohol, obesity and sedentary lifestyle increase your risk of prostate cancer.''
According to him, prostate cancer occurs more commonly among blacks as they mature in age, particularly above 45 years old.
He added that prostate cancer often went undiagnosed because men tended to ignore symptoms such as excessive or frequent urination. He said most cases of prostate cancer were slow in manifesting, but that this was not always the case.
Dr Olaleye called on the Federal Government to work toward increasing public awareness on prostate cancer screening as well as access to screening in order to stem the tide of prostate cancer deaths.(NAN)
No comments:
Post a Comment