Unlike other types of cancer, Prostate cancer could be prevented if the entire male fork above 50 years underwent medical check- up.
Robert Zulu consultant surgeon at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) said of the 60 per cent urology patients received at the Hospital, 20 per cent have prostate cancer.
Mr Zulu said urological services for prevention of prostate cancer in Men were readily available at UTH and Men above 50 years should take advantage of them.
“American Urological Association and the American Cancer Society have published guidelines advocating annual Digital Rectal Examination and Prostate Specific Antigen testing for men over the age of 50.These guide lines are available from your doctor and every male above 50 years should visit his doctor to discuss this,” he said.
Genetic studies suggest that a strong familial predisposition may be responsible for as many as 5-10 per cent of prostate cancer cases. Dr Zulu who is also Zambia Medical Association (ZMA) spokesperson said Men with a family history of prostate cancer have a higher risk ofdeveloping prostate cancer and are also likely to present it 6-7 years earlier.
He added that Epidemiological studies which is the study of people in the community that has had prostate cancer, have shown that diet also played a role in the development of prostate cancer.
He said studies have identified a variety of dietary factors, particularly fat intake and obesity as causes of prostate cancer and Hormonal causes.
It has been observed that in the era before testing of the blood to diagnose cancer (Prostate Specific Antigen) by clinics, patients with prostate cancer commonly showed symptoms confirmed to the urinary system.
Inability to pass urine developed in 20-25% of these patients, back or leg pain developed in 20-40 per cent, and blood in urine developed in 10-15percent.
Dr Zulu said with the current Prostate Specific Antigen screening, Urinary, Decreased urine stream, Urinary urgency and Blood in urine has proved to be the typical symptoms of prostate cancer.
“The typical symptoms of prostate cancer and their frequency are Urinary with 38 percent) frequency, Decreased urine stream with (23percent), Urinary urgency (10percent) and blood in urine at (1.4percent),” he said.
He said manifestations of advanced prostate cancer may include weight loss and loss of appetite, anaemia with or without fracture and lower extremity pain and oedema. Dr Zulu said initial work-up for prostate cancer involves testing of the blood (Serum Prostate-Specific Antigen),examining the extent of cancer using fingers (Digital Rectal Examination) and rostate Biopsy which is the test done to ascertain the problem by the of the affected flesh.
He added that further workup depends on how far the disease has progressed. “A higher clinical stage of cancer determined by Digital Rectal Examination (DRE) findings, Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) level, correlates with an increased risk of spread to distant organs, andthese tests are considered key factors in determining the staging, work-up and predicting patient prognosis,” he said.
He said standard treatments for clinically early prostate cancer include radical prostatectomy or removing the prostate, radiation therapy, or active surveillance.
He said for locally advanced prostate cancer, radiation therapy along with androgen ablation which is the blocking of the male sex hormone on which prostate cancer rely upon for its growth in order to treat it, was generally recommended, although radical prostatectomy may beappropriate as an alternative to radiation therapy in some cases.