A Specialist and General Surgeon, who is the Medical Director at Agormanya St Martins de Porres Hospital in the Lower Manya Krobo municipal, Dr Stephen Kusi has cautioned the general public especially men to minimize the intake of alcohol to avoid the risk of prostate cancer .
According to him, prostate cancer is a common type of cancer in males, but it is highly treatable in the early stages.
It begins in the prostate gland, which sits between the penis and the bladder.
The prostate has various functions, including: Producing the fluid that nourishes and transports sperm secreting prostate antigen (PSA) – a protein that helps semen retain its liquid state helping urine control. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer to affect males in Ghana.
According to Dr. Kusi, “every year 700 men get infected with prostate cancer at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. About 1 of 10 males who under goes prostate cancer diagnosis at some point in their life tests positive. However, only 1 in 41 of these will die as a result of it”.
The reason Dr. Stephen Kusi said, is effective effective treatment especially in the early stages.
Routine screening enables doctors to detect many cases of prostate cancer before it spread.
He highlighted in his statement that, there are often no symptoms during the early stages of prostate cancer, but screening can detect changes that can indicate cancer. Males who do experience symptoms may notice: difficulty starting and maintaining urination, a frequent urge to urinate, especially at night, blood in the urine or semen, painful urination in some cases, pain on ejaculation, difficulty getting or maintaining an erection, pain or discomfort when sitting, if the prostate is enlarged.
Treatment will depend on the stage of the cancer.
He said prostate cancer grows slowly, and the risk of side effects may outweigh the need for immediate treatment. A surgeon may carry out a prostatectomy. They can remove the prostate gland using either laparoscopic or open surgery. A doctor will implant radioactive seeds into the prostate to deliver targeted radiation treatment. Treatment will depend on various factors. A doctor will discuss the best option for the individual.
As cancer grows, it can spread throughout the body. If it spreads, or if it comes back after remission, the treatment options will change. Most doctors surgery in the later stages, as it does not treat cancer that has spread to other parts of the body. However, some experts have suggested that it may help in some cases.
The prostate gland plays a role in sexual reproduction. Prostate cancer and many of its treatments affect fertility in several ways.
For example, if a male has surgery to remove either the prostate gland or the testicles, it will affect semen production and fertility.
Also, radiation therapy can affect prostate tissue, damaging sperm and reducing the amount of semen for transporting it .Hormonal treatment can also affect fertility However, some options for preserving these functions include: Banking sperm before surgery Extracting sperm directly from the testicles for artificial insemination
He concluded however, there is no guarantee that fertility will remain intact after treatment for prostate cancer. Anyone who would like to have children after treatment should discuss fertility options with their doctor when they devise their treatment plan. Alcohol increase the risk of prostate cancer he added.
