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Let me rephrase the sentence above – “what you must do, if you have prostate cancer “. I thought I had written donkey times about prostate cancer, since 2003 when Dr Sun column debuted that people should just Google Dr Sun – prostate cancer, and have all their questions answered. Yet every week questions on prostate cancer keep pouring in. Prostate this, prostate that.
“Doc, I have just been diagnosed of prostate cancer, does that mean, I am going to die? One Clergy, from Adamawa State, wanted to know whether his very high Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA), means his enlarged prostate has changed to prostate cancer as insinuated by Health Workers.
According to a research by Prof Matt McMillan and published in The New England Journal of Medicine “ if you are married and develop prostate cancer, I always encourage the partner to be there for the husband, because prostate cancer is a disease that couples suffer together.
The wife should say to her husband, “I want to be involved “. Both of them should go for appointments together and ask questions.
A lot of men diagnosed with prostate cancer, just turn their brains off, and worry, so it is very important for the partner or spouse to process information and give emotional support.
Scarry as the word cancer may sound, prostate cancer has a very high cure rate, especially when it is detected early. In fact nearly 100% of men diagnosed with prostate cancer that has not spread to other parts of the body, have at least more than 5 years lif span according to American Cancer Society. If your partner feels overwhelmed remind him of that.
Most men diagnosed with prostate cancer, do not die from the disease, and you need to let him know that, let him know that it is not all doom and gloom.
Often prostate cancer grows very slowly and does not pose an immediate threat, in such cases doctors often recommend something called “active surveillance or Watchful waiting “ – this involves regular check ups, to be sure the cancer has not progressed. The advantage is that you avoid the side effects that come with surgery or radiation.
Let me repeat what I had stated in my earlier write ups on prostate cancer, it develops primarily on men over 50. It is the most common type of cancer in men in Nigeria, United Kingdom and United States.
According to Prof B Wright a Ghanaian in University of Jos, it is the second leading cause of death in Nigeria in men after lung cancer. In United Kingdom it is also the second most common cause of cancer, where around 35,000 cases are diagnosed every year and of which 10,000 dies of it.
More than 80% of men will develop prostate cancer by age 80. However, in the majority of cases, it will be slow-growing and harmless. In such men diagnosing prostate cancer is over diagnosis.
Although prostate cancer, cannot be totally prevented, but the following could help in delaying its development
Follow a low fat diet.
Take more fat from plants than from animals.
Increase the quantity of fruits and vegetables you eat each each day.
Eat enough fish.
Reduce dairy products in a day.
Maintain a healthy weight.
Do enough physical exercise daily.
You can achieve this by reducing the number of calories consumed per day.
Choose vegetables, fruits and whole grains that are rich in anti oxidants.
