Some medical practitioners in the health sector have advised men to eat a balanced diet and be engaged in regular sex to reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer.
The experts gave the advice in an interview in Lagos.
The Coordinator, One-Stop-Breast Cancer Clinic, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Dr Caleb Yakubu said that men who engaged in sex regularly stand a lower chance of developing prostate cancer.
Yabuku, also a Consultant Radiologist, said it had been scientifically proven that men who ejaculate more frequently were less likely to develop prostate cancer.
He explained that the prostate gland contains prostrate fluid that mixes with the sperm to form the semen.
He said that with frequent ejaculation, there would not be any stagnancy or reduction in the flow of the fluid which might predispose and increase the risk of getting cancer.
“The prostate gland plays an important role in ejaculation. The prostate is a small, walnut-shaped gland that produces the fluid in semen and helps push this fluid out during ejaculation.
‘It is believed that if a man ejaculates/releases fluid from the prostate gland, there will not be any spaces or stagnancy in the flow that may now predispose and increase the risk of getting cancer.
“In fact, there is one study in the U.S. recently which says that if a man ejaculates up to 20 times per month, his risk of having prostate cancer reduces drastically. So, there is a scientific base to this.
“However, what we normally preach is early detection and that men above 40 years should always go for Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) test to know their status,” Yakubu said.
Speaking, a Consultant Family and Lifestyle Medicine Physician, Dr Muyosore Makinde, said that diet and lifestyle measures were critical in the prevention and management of any kind of cancer.
Makinde, who works with the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), urged Nigerians, particularly men to cultivate healthy eating habits.
She expressed dissatisfaction that many Nigerian citizens were reckless in their eating habits in the bid to demonstrate affluence and class.
According to her, their nutritional habits are based on personal want instead of personal need.
She said, “Many Nigerians eat wrongly. They eat whatever they like in quantity and quality without recourse to the long-term health implications.”
The Physician advised that men should reduce the intake of refined diet, carbohydrates, sugar and increase the intake of diets high in fibre, protein and vegetables.
According to her, there is also a need to increase water intake and reduce high caloric diet which can lead to obesity/diabetes causing insulin resistance.
“High sugar level, excessive consumption of carbohydrates and low intake of fibre foods with less vegetables and proteins are the major contributing factors to prostate cancer.
“Exercise regularly and avoid a sedentary lifestyle. Avoid smoking and reduce or avoid alcohol use including energy drinks,” Makinde said.
Prostate Facts
Black men are more likely to get prostate cancer than other men, who have a 1 in 8 chance of getting prostate cancer. We don’t know why, but it might be linked to genes. We’re funding research to find out why Black men are at higher risk of prostate cancer than other men.
Black men are much more likely to develop prostate cancer. One in six black men will develop prostate cancer in his lifetime—compared to one in eight men overall. Black men are 1.7 times more likely to be diagnosed with—and 2.1 times more likely to die from—prostate cancer than white men.
However, you may also be more likely to get prostate cancer as a Black man if:
You are aged 45 or over – and your risk increases as you get older
Your father or brother has had it
Your mother or sister has had breast cancer.
When To Start Prostate Cancer Screenings
Black men with a father or brother who had prostate cancer when they were younger than age 65 should start screenings at age 45, and Black men with more than one close relative who had prostate cancer when they were younger than age 65 should start screenings at age 40. If you do not fall into one of these high-risk categories, you should start getting screened at age 50. Everyone should continue to get screenings every year or every other year.
Screening typically consists of a prostate-specific antigen blood test (PSA) and a digital rectal examination (DRE). If either test is abnormal, further testing is done with a prostate biopsy, which involves obtaining a small sample of prostate tissue.
The PSA and DRE are how people have been screened for decades, but a more recent option is the use of prostate MRI, which has been shown to improve the detection of cancers that are likely to be aggressive and cause harm.
“It’s so important that all men get screened, because prostate cancer is a silent disease until it spreads to other parts of the body and it can’t be cured,” says Dr. Abdollah. “The PSA screening is the alarm bell. Before you feel anything, it tells you something is wrong. It’s a simple blood test, and it’s so important. It can save lives.”
FAQs About Prostate
· What are 10 causes of prostate cancer?
Getting older. As with most cancers, prostate cancer is more common as you get older. …
Ethnicity. Prostate cancer is more common in Black men than in White men. …
Family history. …
Inherited faulty genes. …
Obesity and weight. …
Being taller. …
Hormone levels. …
Pesticides.
· Can a man live without a prostate?
A person can live without a prostate. A prostatectomy may be necessary to treat certain prostate problems, such as prostate cancer. While prostate removal surgery may result in some side effects, such as erectile dysfunction and urinary incontinence, these are often treatable.
· How long can a man live with prostate cancer without treatment?
They found that around 97% of the men diagnosed with prostate cancer survived 15 years after diagnosis, irrespective of which treatment they received. Around a quarter of the men on active monitoring had still not had any invasive treatment for their cancer after 15 years.
· Can you live 20 years with prostate cancer?
The risk of a man dying of prostate cancer was 17% for men diagnosed before age 70 and was 21% for those diagnosed after age 70. The mean annual prostate cancer mortality rate calculated over the 20-year period post-diagnosis was 1.5%.
· What is the earliest symptom of prostate cancer?
Early prostate cancer usually causes no symptoms. While not common, symptoms of early prostate cancer might include: Problems urinating, including a slow or weak urinary stream or the need to urinate more often, especially at night. Blood in the urine or semen
· Can you get an erection without a prostate?
When you have a radical prostatectomy, you have surgery to remove your prostate gland. These nerves, blood vessels, and muscles may be weakened when you have surgery for your prostate cancer. For a period of time after surgery, many men are not able to get an erection. This time is different for each man.
· What kind of pain does prostate cancer cause?
Symptoms of advanced prostate cancer include: Dull, deep pain or stiffness in your pelvis, lower back, ribs, or upper thighs; pain in the bones of those areas. Loss of weight and appetite.
