Lagos: Public health and health insurance expert Dr Sandra Nnamani has urged men on preventive measures and active surveillance to mitigate prostate cancer risks and other health concerns.
Nnamani, Assistant General Manager, Anchor HMO International Company Ltd., said this at the CWAY Water Ltd. Men’s Day event on Friday in Lagos.
She noted that prostate cancer was cancer that occurred in the prostate. The prostate is a small walnut-shaped gland in males that produces the seminal fluid that nourishes and transports sperm.
The health expert listed its symptoms to include trouble urinating, decreased force in the stream of urine, blood in urine and semen and abdominal pain.
She stated that in advanced cases, symptoms such as bone pain, weight loss, and erectile dysfunction, among others, presented themselves.
Nnamani stated that prostate cancer risk factors for men were old age, black race, family history, obesity and smoking.
She, however, said the disease could manage by active surveillance. According to her, with this approach, men get screenings, scans and biopsies every one to three years to monitor cancer development and growth.
“Active surveillance works best if the cancer is only in the prostate, slow-growing and not causing symptoms. Other processes to address the same may be radiotherapy, immunotherapy, brachytherapy and prostatectomy,” she said.
Nnamani said that men must embrace annual checks provided by their companies in collaboration with their Health Maintenance Organisations to support prostate cancer prevention.
She added that men must get regular prostate screening, quit smoking, and choose a healthy diet full of fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
“Beyond the everyday hustle and bills, men must begin to take care of themselves and take advantage of their workplaces’ medical insurance.
“It is also important for men to maintain a healthy weight and talk to their doctors about increased risk of prostate cancer,” she said.
Mr Francis Chukwuemezie, Senior Human Resource Manager at Cway Water, said the event was to amplify awareness of men’s health and encourage more men to invest in their health outcomes.
Chukwuemezie noted that the average Nigerian man was carried away by the pressure of working hard to provide for the home front that they forgot to look after themselves.
He expressed hope that with the charge at the event, more men would begin to pay attention to their health and not wait for the inevitable before taking action.
“The essence is to celebrate men and bring to their attention the importance of checking themselves. Men can get carried away with the core responsibility of providing for the family and forget to check themselves.
“At Cway, the effort of every man is celebrated, and we have set the day aside to talk, take care of ourselves, and ensure that we eliminate preventable diseases,” he said.
Mr Gordian Azolum, Senior Factory Manager at Cway Water, noted that the company’s maiden event showed that men’s health, which was not very openly discussed before, had gained awareness.
Azolum said the topic on prostate was very enlightening as some men may be suffering without their knowledge, saying the onset of the disease may be without symptoms.
