A medical practitioner, Dr Gafar Akinsanya, on Monday in Abeokuta advised men who are above 40 years of age to abstain from diets which are rich in animal fat.
The doctor, a staff of the Federal Medical Centre at Idi-Aba in Abeokuta, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) abstinence would help to reduce the risk of Prostate cancer.
He said prostate cancer was a common cause of death among elderly men.
“The prostate is a small, walnut-sized structure that makes up part of a man’s reproductive system,” Akinsanya said.
He said the men mostly at risk of being affected by the disease included men who are above 60 years, and men with excessive alcohol habit.
The doctor said farmers, as well as men who have a family history of the disease, could also be affected.
“Others are painters, men who indulge in diets high in fat, especially animal fat and men who have been exposed to cadmium,’’ he said.
Akinsanya however noted that some of the symptoms associated with this type of cancer may not result in prostate cancer.
He listed some of the symptoms to include delayed urine, blood in urine or semen, leakage of urine after urinating, low back or pelvic bone pain and a slow urinary stream.
“A common problem in most men as they grow older is an enlarged prostate but the problem does not raise the risk of prostate cancer,” the doctor said.
Akinsanya said blood test was required to screen men for prostate cancer, adding that most prostate cancer could be detected and treated before they caused any harm.
He added that the disease could be treated with radiation therapy, chemotherapy or surgery.
“Prostate cancer that has spread may be treated with drugs to reduce testosterone levels, surgery to remove the testes, or chemotherapy,” Akinsanya said.
He listed some side effects of the surgery to include difficulty in controlling urine or bowel movements and erection problems.
The doctor advised patients to follow a vegetarian, low-fat diet which includes foods high in Omega-3 fatty acids.(NAN)
Comments