Update: Nigerian female doctor tests positive to Ebola

ABUJA—The Federal Government has confirmed the first case of Ebola Virus Disease in a Nigerian medical doctor, who was among the people that had the first contact with Mr. Patrick Sawyer, the deceased Liberian and first confirmed Ebola victim in the country.

Ebola

Late Sawyer, a consultant to the Liberian Finance Ministry was found to be infected with the virus when he arrived Lagos on July 20, 2014. He died in quarantine on July 25 and his body was later cremated.

Disclosing the development to newsmen in Abuja, yesterday, Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu said the new case was as a result of contact the said doctor had with Sawyer at the Lagos hospital, where the Liberian was admitted after he was brought in from the airport.

Also speaking, Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, accompanied by the Director, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, Prof. Abdulsalam Nasidi, confirmed that it would be the second reported case of the virus in Nigeria in general and Lagos in particular.

Chukwu, who was inaugurating the Treatment Research Group Committee on Ebola Virus Disease, disclosed: “When we met last week, I told you that we were still monitoring some of the healthcare workers and passengers who came in contact with the American-Liberian who brought in Ebola to Nigeria. There were others who attended to him; some have developed symptoms of Ebola.

As of today, we now have a case; this is the second case of Ebola virus in Nigeria. This is the doctor who attended to the Ebola patient in the Lagos hospital.”

Monitoring

Further, he said: “Three others are under watch; at the end of today (yesterday) we will know the outcome. Eight of those who had contact with Mr. Sawyer have been quarantined, while 70 of those who had contact with the patient are on surveillance.

”All of these persons are being quarantined in Lagos, where the Lagos State Government has provided isolation wards.”

The minister said beyond Lagos State, the Federal Government was working with each state to strengthen isolation wards and emergency coordination of health workforce on Ebola around the borders.

He noted that places like Idiroko and Seme borders have received new directives and equipment to screen persons entering the country without having contact with such persons.

On the aspect of bringing in corpses from Ebola -endemic countries for burial in Nigeria, Chukwu said the Federal Government’s order banning any airline or family members from bringing dead persons from Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone was still in force.

”In the case of Imo State, we have carried out the investigation and found out that there is a death certificate and it was not an Ebola case, so we have asked the Commissioner for Health in Imo State to go on with the burial of the person. But for Anambra State and Akwa Ibom states, investigation is still going on. They are still under watch,” he said.

Warning on false cures

Chukwu, who disapproved of the panic being created on social media platforms, contended that contrary to widely-held opinion on social media that Bitter Kola was a suitable cure and as well prevents infection by Ebola virus, the minister stressed that there was no scientific evidence that the use of Bitter Kola cures or prevents Ebola infections.

”There is no proof yet,” he affirmed, noting that such claims emanated from previous “in-vitro research, which is in a test-tube (ongoing) where the samples were obtained from Bitter Kola, and tend to have some activities against Ebola.

Committee on EVD

On the way forward, the Federal Government has inaugurated the Treatment Research Committee on Ebola Virus Disease.

Inaugurating the committee, Chukwu observed that Nigeria must get serious in the area of research as a strategic way of curtailing the spread of the virus.

The committee has the Director-General of the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Research and Development NIPRD, Prof. Karniyus Gamaliel and the Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, NIMR, Prof.

Innocent Ujah as co-Chairmen Former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Maurice Iwu is a member. Others include Prof. Abdulsalam Nasidi of the National Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, Dr Sani Gwarzo of the Port Health Services, Director of Public Health, Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Bridget Okoeguela and Director of Health Planning and Research, Mrs. Asa Ogu. The terms of reference of the committee include coordination of research on treatment and prevention of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD); receive and verify claims of Ebola disease; to collate all related research findings around the world on Ebola and advise government as may be appropriate on the matter.

Isolation & treatment centres

Speaking in Lagos, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, added that the state has established isolation and treatment centres to hospitalise the patients for strict surveillance.

“From our activities to stem the spread of Ebola virus in Nigeria, another patient has tested positive for the virus. The female doctor is one of the eight persons who were under critical surveillance and care for having contact with the late Liberian, Mr. Patrick Sawyer, who died after being infected by the virus.

“The state has established an isolation and treatment centre to hospitalise this patient. The staff at this Centre have also been trained on how to treat and handle the patients under their care. The hospital is also provided with enough facilities to ensure that the officials and other patients do not contact the virus.

“The patients under our surveillance were those who had personal contact with the late Liberian. And the Rapid Response Team, RRT, had been in communication with these patients who developed fever and other symptoms.

“We will not stop in tracking all those who had contact with the late Liberian. The contact remains in isolation until the confirmatory results are in and those who tested positive for the virus will remain in isolation until they are no longer infectious.”

Idris stated that the secondary cases were expected, given the nature of the contact with the affected people.

“This was because they were unaware of the patient’s status, until the management of the hospital informed the state government of the development.”

Patient is alive

Nasidi, when asked about the identity of the victim, declined to mention the name of the latest victim but confirmed it was a female doctor.

“We will not be able to release the name of the new contact but we know that the person is a doctor and a female.

“The patient is not dead. She is alive. Experts from the local and international organisations are attending to the patient. Of the eight that are under intensivesurveillance, tests are still ongoing on others.”

Appeal to NMA: The joint Federal and state medical team therefore, appealed to Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, to call off the ongoing nationwide strike in the interest of the general public.

“Given the state of the outbreak of Ebola virus in Lagos State, we are appealing to the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA who are on strike to please sheath their sword and call off their strike; join our team to fight this scourge.

“We will also welcome volunteer from the health profession and those who accept volunteer shall be given incentive. We also appeal to residents to support the government in fighting the scourge,” Idris stated.

Reactions: In a reaction to the development, a professor of Medicine and Former Direcor Human Resources West African Health Organisation, WAHO, Prof. Kayode Odusote, noted: “I’m concerned about anything that happens as a result because the man that came from Liberia and the trail of events. “We know the risk is there because of frequent travel and both the public and health workers must be prepared to pick up the first signs of this infection. Let us be prepared and not have a repeat of what happened in Liberia where there was denial at the beginning.

Odusote, this exemplifies what we have been saying that anybody that has contact with a victim must report to the quarantine unit at once. Don’t wait. What this means is that we have to be vigilant. The earlier the signs can be picked up, the better. Anyone who has had contact with Ebola victim and is exhibiting any of the signs should just quarantine himself of herself so as not to put their family and the public in danger,” he affirmed

Also speaking, National President Association of General and Private Medical Practitioners, AGPMPN, Dr. Anthony Omolola, stated that the development was a signal. “It is a signal that we have a challenge on our hands now knowing full well that the mortality with Ebola is as high as 90 percent.

“Government should put all its apparatus into ensuring that the disease does not spread in Nigeria. And the political will must be doubled now. There must be serious enlightenment programme now about Ebola virus. The treatment itself and there must be a very serious campaign, jingles in different languages and different media. It should also be ensured that all contacts with the late Patrick Sawyer has to under serious surveillance to ensure that there are no further contacts.

Another Ebola suspect flown in: Another Ebola victim was yesterday allegedly brought in to Muritala Muhammed International Airport Lagos, from Ghana. The victim identified as Mr Nwosu Nnaji was allegedly flown on aboard Arik Air flight from Ghana which landed at about 12.00 noon.

But a top official of Arik Air who was contacted, but pleaded anonymity, said the airline has stopped going to Ebola infested countries and that the airline could not have allowed an Ebola victim to be on their flight.

Efforts to speak with the General Manager, Public Affairs, Arik Air, Mr Ola Adebanji failed as his mobile numbers were switched off.

A Port Health official at the Lagos when contacted to speak on the issue said all enquiries on Ebola should be directed to Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, FAAN. But the Coordinating General Manager, Public Affairs , Aviation Parastatals, Mr. Yakubu Dati did not pick his calls when contacted.

Meawhile, death toll from the world’s worst Ebola outbreak had risen to 887 by August 1, while the total number of cases in the four West African countries affected stood at 1,603 on the same date, the World Health Organisation said on Monday.

Guinea has suffered the highest death toll with 358 fatalities out of 485 confirmed Ebola cases so far. Sierra Leone has had the largest number of cases, 646 overall, and 273 deaths, while Liberia has had 468 cases and 255 deaths.

Nigeria, the latest country to import the disease, has had four cases, of which three are classed as ‘probable’ Ebola and one as ‘suspected’, the Geneva-based agency said in a statement.

Courier companies

The case of Patrick Sawyer, an American who died shortly after flying from Liberia at Lagos airport via Togo and Ghana, is still classed as “probable”. The WHO previously said it had not managed to check his sample because courier companies had refused to transport it to the Institut Pasteur in Dakar.

The other two probable Ebola cases in Nigeria were a health-care worker and a Nigerian who had been to Guinea, WHO said.

Nigeria itself has reported only the cases of Sawyer and, on Monday, one of the doctors who treated him.

International financial institutions are preparing funding packages for Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea hard hit by the deadly Ebola virus, development bank officials said on Monday as African leaders gathered for the first day of a U.S. summit.

African Development Bank President Donald Kaberuka told Reuters his institution would immediately disburse $50 million to the three countries where government resources and health systems are being stretched by the worst outbreak of the virus.

The World Bank is set to announce funding for each of the countries after approval by its board, bank officials said. “We’re putting together a substantial emergency package for the three countries and will announce it early this week,” a bank official said. The funding is part of a $100 million emergency response plan launched by the World Health Organization last week. WHO chief Margaret Chan has warned that Ebola was outpacing efforts to contain it and warned of “catastrophic” consequences if the situation deteriorated.

Sierra Leone and Liberia deployed troops on Monday under an emergency plan to fight the spread of the virus. The latest outbreak began in the forests of remote eastern Guinea in February. On Monday, Nigeria’s health minister reported a second case of Ebola in Lagos in a doctor who treated U.S. patient Patrick Sawyer, who died last month. The impact of the outbreak and assistance for affected countries to try to contain it will be discussed on the sidelines of the African Summit attended by nearly 50 African leaders, U.S. official said.

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Update: Nigerian female doctor tests positive to Ebola

Ebola: Envoy, 58 persons had contacts with dead Liberian

The Lagos State Government said on Monday that it had identified no fewer than 59 people who had contacts with the Liberian who died of Ebola Virus in the state, Mr Patrick Sawyer.

Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris
| credits: File copy

Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris, said at a news conference in Ikeja that the contact tracing became imperative to ascertain any possible transmission of the virus by the victim.

Idris said the identified contacts comprised 44 hospital and 15 airport contacts, including the Nigerian Ambassador to Liberia.

He said 20 of the contacts had been screened and that none of them had so far been found to be infected with the virus.

He, however, said the contacts did not include those he might have been with on his flight to Nigeria on July 20, as the airline had yet to release the passenger manifest for investigation.

He said, “The airline manifest has not been provided by the airline as at the time of this report and therefore, the precise number of passenger contacts is yet to be ascertained, especially as two flights were involved (Monrovia-Lome and Lome-Lagos).”

He urged Nigerians not to entertain fears about Sawyer’s case as the state and Federal Governments were doing everything possible to prevent any outbreak in the country.

Idris said the deceased’s body had been decontaminated, using 10 per cent sodium hypochlorite and cremated with the permission of the Government of Liberia.

He said, “A cremation urn has been prepared for dispatch to the family. The vehicle containing the remains have also been decontaminated while the hospital in which he died on July 25 has been demobilised .”

Idris said the state Ministry of Health had designated an isolation ward at the Infectious Disease Hospital, Yaba, for case management, adding three other centres were under way.

The commissioner urged residents to report people with abnormal cases of bleeding and fever to the appropriate authorities for intervention, as high fever with bleeding from all body openings were symptoms of the disease.

Idris also urged residents to always keep their environments clean and maintain good personal hygiene as Ebola virus spreads easily in dirty environments.

Also speaking, the Director, National Centre for Disease Control, Prof. Abdul-Salami Nasidi, warned against the consumption of bats and monkeys as these animals had been established to be the original sources of Ebola.

He said, “This is time for those bat-eating and monkey-eating communities to be careful now. Ebola started from the eating of chimpanzees. How the virus got to the monkey, nobody knows yet.

“But this is the time to be careful about the eating of monkeys and bats. The Ebola threat is high in West Africa and people should start taking precautions.”

President of the Nigerian Academy of Science, Prof. Oyewale Tomori, also warned Nigerians against the unsupervised burial of people who died from suspected Ebola case.

He said 40 per cent of cases in high risk countries were transmitted from victims bodies, stressing that an Ebola corpse was deadlier than the patient.

Special Adviser to the Governor on Public Health, Mrs Yewande Adeshina, urged traditional healers to collaborate with the government in checking Ebola threats by reporting suspicious cases for the right intervention.

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Ebola: Envoy, 58 persons had contacts with dead Liberian

Warning: ‘Number Of HIV Sufferers In Nigeria Increasing ’

Experts at the just-concluded American Conference on the Treatment of HIV held in Denver, Colorado State yesterday hinted that the population of the people living with HIV in Nigeria is on the increase.

They also reaffirmed that Nigeria carries the second heaviest burden of HIV in the entire African continent.

Although the health experts noted that the federal government had been able to ensure that more of the Nigerian citizens were placed on life saving medication despite challenges in scaling up access, institutional reforms and political commitment to tackle the deadly disease, they charged the government to put a control to the increasing numbers of HIV infected people in the country.

Speaking during a Session enitled, “Sexual and Reproductive Health Care for HIV Infected Women,” Dr Margaret A. Lampe of the US Centre for Disease Control & Prevention, noted that the number of people living with HIV in Nigeria had increased by almost half a million people in three years, stressing that AIDS-related mortality had also slightly increased in the same time period to about 217,148.

Jean R. Anderson of the John Hopkins Medical Insititute in Maryland bemoaned the increase in mother to child transmission of HIV in Nigeria, urging the Federal Ministry of Health to continue to organise seminars where infected mothers would have adequate knowledge on how to prevent possible transmissions of the disease.

Dr Anderson added that Mother-to-child transmission and transfusion of infected blood were estimated as common routes of infection, adding that each of these two were believed to account for almost 10% of infections in Nigeria.

“In the country, women below the age of 49 years have the highest HIV prevalence rates and mother –to- child transmission now accounts for 10% of new infections. The North central zone has the highest prevalence rates per zone while urban areas had more HIV prevalence than rural.”

He said key drivers of the HIV epidemic in Nigeria include multiple sexual partnerships, intense transactional and inter-generational sex and inefficient services for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), among others.

d inadequate access to and poor quality of healthcare services. Entrenched gender inequalities and inequities, chronic and debilitating poverty, and stubborn persistence of HIV/AIDS-related stigma and discrimination also significantly contribute to the continuing spread of the infection” she concluded.

Warning: ‘Number Of HIV Sufferers In Nigeria Increasing ’

How to win battle against prostate cancer

Nearly 100 per cent of men diagnosed with prostate cancer at early stages, experts say, will be disease-free after five years. But, ignorance has made many suffer from this disease whose cure rate is very high, writes OYEYEMI GBENGA-MUSTAPHA 

Prostrate cancerTomorrow morning, cyclists wearing helmets and kitted with other riding gears will ride from the United Bank for Africa (UBA) head office in Marina, Lagos Island to the National Stadium, Surulere on the Lagos mainland. They will be riding because of men, such as 47-year-old Simeon Unachukwu, who are down with prostate cancer, a disease which one in every 38 men between the ages of 40-59 get diagnosed with.

The first sign that all might not be well with Unachukwu started when he was always having an urgent need to pass urine; yet had less urine flow and was feeling burning sensation when he passed urine. He was always getting up many times during the night to pass urine.

He visited the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi Araba and had audience with an urologist, Dr Habeeb Tijani, who told him to go for Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) test and a prostate exam (digital rectal exam) to ascertain the risk of prostate cancer.

The PSA is a screening tool to detect prostate cancer. The result indicated an elevated PSA with value greater than 4.0ng/dl. He was confirmed with having prostate cancer.

The late Prof Omo Omoruyi, who was the boss of the Centre for Democratic Studies (CDS), also battled prostate cancer. In his book ‘Journey Back to Life’, he recounted his experience and preached the gospel of early detection.

As a cancer patient, he passed through the National Hospital, Abuja, the Boston Medical Center, the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard University Medical School.

In the book he gave hope to those living with cancer that contrary to the general claim that cancer is an instant death sentence, appropriate treatment regime, continuing advancement in science, and the will to survive could see them through.

Foremost lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Prof Ben Nwabueze recently announced that he was battling prostate cancer. Last October, in a statement, he explained why he turned down his appointment as a member of the National Conference Advisory Committee.

He said: “It is not generally known to people that I have been fighting prostrate cancer for some years now, and have been kept going by consultations from time to time with, and treatment by, a Consultant Oncologist at Charing Cross Hospital, London. My appointment with the Consultant Oncologist had been shifted many times because of several postponements in the dates of The Patriots meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan and the National Summit at Uyo, both of which eventually took place on 29 August and 3/4 September respectively, leaving me free at last to travel to London on 8 September for my medical appointments.

“After The Patriots fruitful meeting with the President, a member of our team who has access to him on a personal basis was mandated to go back to get him to set up the Committee on the National Conference of which he had earlier given a hint. My understanding from the contacts with him was that The Patriots would be asked to nominate a member to the Committee. I never expected to be appointed chairman or member of the Committee, and would, quite frankly, have considered such an appointment inappropriate in the circumstances. It is an appointment for a younger person, not for an old man of 83 years afflicted by ill-health.”

Tijani, who is a Senior Lecturer/Consultant Urological Surgeon at the Department of Surgery, College of Medicine University of Lagos (CMUL) / LUTH, says growing older raises risk of prostate problems.

He said: “The three most common prostate problems are: Inflammation (prostatitis); Enlarged prostate (BPH, or benign prostatic hyperplasia) and Prostate cancer. One change does not lead to another. For example, having prostatitis or an enlarged prostate does not increase your risk of prostate cancer. It is also possible for you to have more than one condition at the same time. However, not all prostatic enlargements are cancerous and many enlargements do not require treatment. Having that patient go for the PSA test is in order people. PSA test is a simple, reproducible, and relatively accurate blood test. It is used to detect a protein (the prostate specific antigen) that is released from the prostate gland into the blood.

“The PSA level is usually higher than 4ng/mL in people with prostate cancer than in people without the cancer. Situations of large prostate size, infection and inflammation are other reasons why the PSA may be elevated. The PSA, therefore, is valuable as a screening test for prostate cancer. Accordingly, doctors usually recommend doing a PSA in men age 40 and over. Subsequent screening is recommended based on individual preference and assessment of risk for developing prostate cancer. For example, patients with a high risk of developing prostate cancer due to a family history or a high initial PSA should have more frequent evaluation (usually annually).

“And the number of cases we see at LUTH is also increasing. Poor records keeping in Nigeria means that we do not have adequate data. It is however the number one causes of cancer death in men above 45 in Nigeria. World-wide, it is more common in blacks. It is more aggressive in blacks and it tends to occur at an earlier age in blacks. In short, the black man of West African origin is more likely to be killed by the cancer compared with other races. Screening for Prostate cancer among Nigerian men is low because awareness on screening for Prostate cancer is still poor. Every black man after 40 should have an annual evaluation of his prostate. With less than a N2, 000. 00 the screening can be obtained.”

Routine screening is about N10 000. Patients, who have suspicious results, will then need confirmatory test, which costs a little over N50, 000.

Tijani described Prostate cancer as an abnormal and uncontrollable growth of the prostate subsequently spreading to vital organs and thereby destroying them.

“Unchecked, this ultimately leads to the demise of the individual. The level of awareness of this disease is so low among men. The reason is largely due to the fact that there are no early symptoms for prostate cancer. In fact, at diagnosis, the disease is already advanced. As such, an aggressive campaign like that done for breast and cervical cancer in women should be embarked upon.”

Tijani also had some experience with a man in his early fifties who came to the hospital with an obvious prostate cancer on examination. Based on the clinical examination, he was told to go for further diagnostics screening but declined saying he was ‘shot’ (Yoruba- ‘won ta mi lofa’) at by his enemies.

According to Tijani, such assumptions do not hold water and it is amazing that at this age people with medical challenge, such as this, could be frivolous as to believe in African bellicose and superstitions such as the claim of the patient above. He did not show up again at the hospital.

Another patient was also attended to. He was in his early 60s and a retiree. He had his children brought him to the hospital but could not afford the cost of the screening nor the treatment. More so, he could not come alone to the hospital because he lives outside the state. He was not able to be followed up and was lost as a patient.

Consultant General and Urological Surgeon, Delta State University Teaching Hospital (DELSUTH), Oghara, Dr Leslie Akporiaye, had attended to many patients with success stories/happy ending. He was working with an oil company in Delta, as a Medical Director of the oil company’s clinic before he moved to DELSUTH. While at the oil company, he was attending to the retirees and the company footed their bill. He was also holding constant health talk with them because most of them are advanced in age. They knew what to look out for and report promptly to the clinic on sensing any suspicion. A lot of the retirees were saved from progressing into advanced stages of prostate cancer or death. And they enjoyed their lives in retirement.

Some also who were private citizens had been coming to DELSUTH either from recommendations from survivors or preventive cases from the oil company or referrals from other hospitals. According to Dr Akporiaye, DELSUTH has all it takes to attend to any man with prostate cancer of any stage.

 

Causes/ way out

 

Explaining the causes of prostate cancer, Dr Akporiaye said the cause of prostate cancer is unknown, but the cancer is not related to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The risk (predisposing) factors for prostate cancer include advancing age, genetics (heredity), hormonal influences, and such environmental factors as toxins, chemicals, and industrial products. “The chances of developing prostate cancer increase with age. Thus, prostate cancer under age 40 is extremely rare, while it is common in men older than 80 years of age. As a matter of fact, some studies have suggested that among men over 80 years of age, 50 per cent to 80 per cent of them may have prostate cancer cells present in the prostate gland. More than 80 per cent of prostate cancers are diagnosed in men older than 65 years of age.”

Another urologist, Dr Emmanuel Audu-Obe, Director, Fertigene Diagnostics/Salem Hospitals, Benue, said if the prostate cancer is advanced the following symptoms are also possible: Bone pain, often in the spine (vertebrae), pelvis, or ribs; the proximal part of the femur can be painful; leg weakness (if cancer has spread to the spine and compressed the spinal cord); urinary incontinence (if cancer has spread to the spine and compressed the spinal cord) and fecal incontinence (if cancer has spread to the spine and compressed the spinal cord).

Dr Obe explained that the prostate is a walnut-sized gland located between the bladder and the penis. “The prostate is just in front of the rectum. The urethra runs through the center of the prostate, from the bladder to the penis, letting urine flow out of the body. The prostate secretes fluid that nourishes and protects sperm. During ejaculation, the prostate squeezes this fluid into the urethra; and it’s expelled with sperm as semen. The vasa deferentia bring sperm from the testes to the seminal vesicles. The seminal vesicles contribute fluid to semen during ejaculation.

“Cancer affecting this organ is called prostate cancer and it is the most common form of cancer in men (besides skin cancer), but only one in 35 men die from prostate cancer. This ailment is more prevalent in the elderly. Younger men usually have Prostatitis (Inflammation of the prostate, sometimes caused by infection). In some cases, it is treated with antibiotics, and Enlarged prostate: Called benign prostatic hypertrophy or BPH, prostate growth affects virtually all men over 50. Symptoms of difficult urination tend to increase with age. During the early stages of prostate cancer there are usually no symptoms. Most men at this stage find out they have prostate cancer after a routine check up or blood test.”

He said: “Nobody is really sure of what the specific causes are. There are so many possible factors, including age, race, lifestyle, medications, and genetics, to name a few. Age is considered as the primary risk factor. The older a man is, the higher is his risk. Prostate cancer is rare among men under the age of 40, but much more common after the age of 45.

“Statistics indicate that genetics is definitely a factor in prostate cancer risk. It is more common among certain racial groups – in the USA prostate cancer is significantly more common and also more deadly among Afro-Americans than White-Americans. A man has a much higher risk of developing cancer if his identical twin has it. A man whose brother or father had/had prostate cancer runs twice the risk of developing it, compared to other men.”

A medical practitioner, Dr Gafar Akinsanya, 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 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.

The UBA Foundation, which is organising tomorrow’s cycling for prostate cancer, will be conducting free prostrate screening at the National Satdium, Surulere, Lagos, the Millennium Park, Abuja, UBA Business Office, Nike Lake, Trans-Ekulu, Enugu and Trans Amadi, Port Harcourt. (0)

How to win battle against prostate cancer