The culture of silence around family medical history has been identified as one of the reasons for the negative prostate cancer outcomes among African men.
This is because majority of the prostate cancers that are seen in Nigeria and across Africa are presented very late and at advanced stages which is really unfortunate and very deadly hence the reason for the focus on advanced prostate cancer.
Professor of Hematology and Oncology, Professor Folakemi Odedina made this known at the Inaugural Science of Advanced Prostate Cancer (SoAPCA) Conference in Lagos.
Professor Odedina noted that the focus on clinical trials and participating in research is imperative for the population especially men of African ancestry because through participation, drugs would be developed and interventions are personalized to Africa instead of just looking at drugs that were personalized to people who are non-African or people who are non-Black.
“It will mean that one keeps using it and just praying that it would work, so really focusing on clinical trials is really a great deal for us”. She added
According to Odedina, bringing Prostate cancer advocates, survivors, clinicians, investigators, policy makers together is crucial in order to make a difference fighting the deadly disease in the community.
Comparing Nigeria with the United States, she explained that, one of the focused area is being able to conduct research and that was because in 2005 there was not a lot of evidence coming out of Nigeria and Africa about prostate cancer, “the incidence, the burden, the mortality, the drugs that work for us and the presentation of the disease”.
Hence, the setting up of the Prostate Cancer Trans-atlantic Consortium to begin to look at the differences, stating ‘we have done a lot of studies since 20 years to understand the differences”.
Professor Odedina explained that, the genetic makeup of people in Africa is not the same as that of the United States citing example of the kind of food and the lifestyle that people live, the environment, pollution, what people are exposed to.
“One of the things that we are studying is looking at the role of red meat in prostate cancer and it’s not necessarily the red meat, it’s the way we cook the red meat especially within us in Nigeria or Africa is very charred, like dried, it’s burnt, you have like high fire and when you do that, it releases some chemicals that we are seeing is actually linked to prostate cancer. That is a very good example of the differences that we eat”.
She noted that the most scary aspect of it is because it is one of the few diseases that a black man is a risk factor that she stated is the most scariest thing.
Professor Odedina advised members of the public against smoking and to drink in moderation, eat very healthy food.
“Majority of the time we overcook and we char our food. So those were the things that I would think we kind of think about”. she advised
The President and Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria Cancer Society, visiting professor at the University of Liberia, Monrovia, also a professor at the University of Nigeria, a lecturer and consultant at a State-based University, Professor Abideb Omanisi, said that prostate cancer is not only in Nigeria but also in South Africa, is transition from communicable disease to non-communicable disease.
“That we established to make sure it is a transition unlike tuberculosis, cholera, that are communicable and are infectious and are still there”.
He noted that governments of various countries have tried to reduce their incidences and their burden but new set of diseases, non-communicable diseases, like diabetic, stem hypertension and cancer are on the increase and gaining prominence.
“We know that among males in Nigeria, for close to 30 years now, prostate cancer has been the number one cancer in males. Before that, it used to be liver cancer, you know, but prostate cancer is the major cancer. There are several factors, you know, have been associated with that. Genetics, being black and diet among others”.
Professor Omanisi stressed that, the major issue in Nigeria is that people present themselves at the advanced stage of cancer.
Not only in the community, it exists among allies, the well-educated not forgetting that one of the governors of a state has advanced prostate cancer.
“The major issue there is not only for prostate cancer, there is the issue of stigmatization unlike those with hypertension, they can tell you have hypertension but no one will mention cancer.”
On what the Federal government is doing to support the fight against prostate cancer, Federal Government says it is intensifying efforts to combat prostate cancer in Nigeria through new treatment facilities, financial support for patients, and strengthened research collaborations.
To this end, government recently, lunched three comprehensive cancer centers at the same day in Enugu, Benin and Katsina States to show its level of seriousness.
The FG promised to give the necessary support to the office of the Minister to ensure that all relevant agencies particularly NAFDAC work with the consortium to ensure that clinical Oncology trials commence on prostrate cancer in Nigeria.
The Minister’s message was delivered by the Special Adviser to the Minister on Technical Matters, Dr Kehinde Ololade.
Reporting by Julie Ekong