Features
The Prostate …a ‘powerhouse’ that needs to be protected
Mr Brobbey
The prostate is a vital but often overlooked organ in the male reproductive system. This small gland plays a crucial role in men’s health, yet issues such as prostate cancer, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and prostatitis can affect its function and overall well-being.
The prostate is a walnut-sized gland located below the bladder next to the rectum. Its primary function is to produce fluid that nourishes and protects sperm, aiding in sperm motility and fertility.
The prostate also plays a role in controlling urine flow and ejaculation. Maintaining a healthy prostate is essential for overall male reproductive health and quality of life.
Prostate health can be affected by various conditions, with the most common being prostate cancer.
Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer among men worldwide. Early detection through regular screenings, such as the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test and digital rectal examination, is crucial for timely diagnosis and treatment.
Prevalence
According to the National Library of Medicine (NLM) in the United States of America (USA), Prostate cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer and the fifth leading cause of cancer death among men worldwide, with an estimated 1,414,000 new cancer cases and 375,304 deaths in 2020.
It also said, in Africa, Southern Africa has the highest incidence rates of 64.1 per 100,000, followed by Northern Africa with 35.9 per 100,000 while Western Africa recorded 31.9 per 100,000, whereas Eastern and Western 23.9 per 100,000 and 13.2 per 100,000, respectively.
According to NLM prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in men of African descent.
In Ghana, evidence from population-based screening showed a prevalence of seven per cent in men between 50 and 74 years with the chance of having prostate cancer going up with age.
According to recent GLOBOCON data, it is the leading cause of cancer deaths among Ghanaian men and accounted for over 2000 new cases in 2020 alone.
Also the chairman of the Taussig Cancer Institute, Professor Alex Adjei, at an annual public lecture on cancer last year said 82 per cent of men with prostate cancer in Ghana die annually.
This, he said indicated that the mortality rate of prostate cancer in the country was higher than deaths related to breast and cervical cancers.
“This is a worrying situation because comparing Ghana to other countries such as US and the UK, they recorded more cases of prostate cancer annually, but have lower mortality rates while the majority survived.
According to Prof. Adjei, Ghana which had three times lower incidence of prostate cancer cases, however, had higher mortality compared to those countries due to late reporting.
Symptoms
An oncology nurse at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Mr Eric Brobbey, said early prostate cancer usually causes no symptoms, while more advanced prostate cancer can cause symptoms such as trouble urinating, blood in urine or semen.
Also, he said persons suffering from the disease will have the urge to urinate more often especially at night, have erectile dysfunction, decreased force in the stream of urine, discomfort in the pelvic, pain in the hips, back (spine), chest (ribs), or other areas from cancer that has spread to bones.
He mentioned that they also have weakness or numbness in legs or feet, due to spread of cancer to the spine and loss of bladder or bowel control from cancer pressing on the spinal cord.
Risk Factors
Mr Brobbey said the chance of having prostate cancer goes up quickly after the age of 50 while men with a first degree male relative (father, brother) who had prostate cancer before age 65 have twofold risk of developing the disease compared with men who do not have a first degree relative with the disease.
“Also, the disease is more common in men of African descent compared with men of other races,” he said.
Screening and early detection
Mr Brobbey said cancer screening was aimed at detecting cancer before any symptoms appear adding that the method used depended on the cancer being screened for.
The benefits of screening, he said included early detection of disease and early treatment possibly for cure.
He mentioned that prostate cancer screening can be done with Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) test, this is a simple blood test.
Mr Brobbey explained that the antigen was specific to the prostate but not specific for prostate cancer and urged that men should make an informed decision on whether they would like to be screened every year with the PSA test.
Treatment
The oncology nurse said the treatment of the disease depended on the stage of the disease and there were different options for its treatment, stating that sometimes two or more treatment options were needed to be combined and not all treatments were for cure.
“Prostate cancers are treated based on stage, grade and age of the patient,” he added.
Mr Brobbey said that the stage describes the extent of spread of the disease, explaining that stage one is early prostate cancer while stage IV is advance prostate cancer where the tumour has spread to other parts of the body.
“The grade of the disease refers to the appearance of the cancer cells when examined by a pathologist and this is an indication of how quickly and aggressively a cancer is growing,” he stated.
Mr Brobbey urged men to get screened and have their PSA test done to help detect the disease early before symptoms begin to show.
Recommendation
In an attempt to fight the disease at an early stage, a national intervention is needed to create maximum awareness of the disease and also encourage men to go through screening just as breast cancer.
Also lack of coverage for prostate cancer treatment under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in Ghana makes it difficult for the less privileged to access and sustain cancer care at any stage of the disease.
Just as some aspects of treatment such as surgery, chemotherapy and some targeted therapies for breast cancers are catered for under NHIS, it is time some aspects of prostate cancer treatment was included in the scheme to give relief to patients.
With the current rate of the disease among men in the country, it is time Ghana embarks on a concerted effort to develop a better strategy for cancer control and invest in the setting up of well-equipped cancer treatment centres for early detection, diagnosis, treatment and research.
Conclusion
The prostate plays a vital role in men’s health and well-being, and protecting this powerhouse is essential for a fulfilling and healthy life.
By adopting a proactive approach to prostate health, making informed lifestyle choices, and seeking timely medical care, men can reduce their risk of prostate-related conditions and maintain optimal prostate function.
It is therefore important to prioritise its protection and care as a healthy prostate is a cornerstone of a man’s overall well-being.
By Jemima Esinam Kuatsinu
THE typical itinerant salesman in Sikaman is a herbalist. He is normally a slim macho with the capacity to perambulate the expanse of area covering the triangle of Accra-Tema-Ashiaman. In short, he can walk a total of 60 miles a day, marketing a product that cures every disease, including poverty. 
The door-to-door herbal pharmacist advertises his product by word of mouth. He has nothing to do with the Food and Drugs Board (FDB). After all, his concoctions do not feature on FM stations.
Those herbalists who cannot walk to propagate the herbal gospel, liaise with drivers of mass transportation and their mates. They are, therefore, given the chance to sell their products on Benz buses that ply the routes.
Normally, the herbalist starts his sales message with a prayer and Bible study. He asks the passengers to bow down their heads in supplication to God the father, the son, the Holy Spirit.
When a herbalist asks the passengers to close their eyes and bow their heads, Moslems on board naturally feel offended. They feel that the herbalist has no right to assume that every passenger is a Christian. They think such an assumption is an affront to Islam.
So a Moslem on board will raise the hand for a point of order. He’ll remind the herbalist that it would be in his own interest to mind his language.
“Be careful the way you address people in a public place. Not every person here is a Christian,” he’d state assertively.
Of course, the herbalist will promptly ignore him, but would all the same “watch” his tongue. Who knows whether or not the Moslem brother is inspired by Quoranic zeal to defend the tenets of Islam to the hilt?
When he starts saying, “Wallahi!” and “Inshallah!” it could be the beginning of proclaiming Islam as supreme, a point which must be driven home with talibanic precision.
So the herbalist must tread carefully lest he steps on fire.
The herbalist could even add a measure of mirth to it all, by announcing that Christians on board today have very interesting company on the journey, but that should not detract from the business of the day.
The Moslem brother will weigh the words carefully and offer a wry smile.
He must be careful the occasion does not degenerate into the use of semantics and proverbial oration to deride his conviction that public utterances must be mindful of religious sensibilities. He has made his point very clear and expects that it is taken in good faith in the interest of a peaceful journey.
The herbalist will now open the New Testament and preach salvation, stating clearly that salvation can come only through Jesus Christ and NOBODY else.
The Moslem brother will now start twitching his moustache. The visible and almost revolutionary reflexes of his upper lip can be an indication that sentiments have begun superseding reason, and the outcome could well be tragic now shift uneasily in his seat.
The time has come for him to also express his right to the religion of his fore-bears. He’ll put his hand into his pocket and rise to his feet. The time has indeed come!
This article was first published on Saturday, September 9, 2006
When the cause of a particular problem like sickness, disease, sudden illness, a social issue etc. are not known, it stands to reason that resolving it becomes a huge challenge.
Citizens would understand the government when public announcements are made to the effect that government is trying to find a solution to the issue, even though it is taking a while for it to be resolved because citizens are rational beings.
On the other hand, if the solution to a particular issue is known to everybody but the government for whatever reason, is dragging its feet in resolving it, citizens become frustrated and begin to lose trust in their leaders.
One such issue is the heavy traffic along a section of the Kasoa – Odokor road. A short stretch of bad road between the traffic light at the Weija Government Hospital and the entrance to the entrance of the overhead that leads to the N1, is the cause of the problem but nothing is being done about it, day after day, week after week, month after month. Thus is clearly unacceptable.
Another issue that requires urgent attention is the lack of pavements along a lot of streets in parts of the various Municipal Assemblies. Exercise is a prerequisite for long life and healthy living and for those of us who it has become a way of life, this issue of people putting up structures right to the edge of the drains beside the roads, are making life difficult for us.
We are compelled to walk along the roads, putting our lives at serious risk. Pedestrians should never be compelled to compete with vehicles on our streets and roads. Roads and streets are made for vehicles and pavements are made for pedestrians. That is the norm. Any attempt to normalise a situation where pedestrians are mingling with vehicles is insanity.
It is the road regulations that makes it so and therefore district or municipal assemblies are to take responsibility and ensure that spaces for pavements are not encroached upon. Citizens have rights that must be protected by their leaders and making pavements available to pedestrians, is one of them.
When we hear of teachers having sex with students, it appears it is something recent. It is not a new phenomenon. It has been there since Adam. Perhaps this issue is getting much attention due to the proliferation of social media. It was an open secret in times past when Teachers were in relationships with female students and some married them immediately after completion of school.
Some teachers were also known to be having unholy interactions with female pupils but due to the times that these acts occurred, human rights issues and the awareness around it, allowed such unscrupulous teachers to get away with their crimes.
Now we are in a different era and so a Headmaster is now in hot waters. He is alleged to have raped about 19 female students and as usual, some officials tried to cover it up and are also in hot waters and their actions or inactions in the matter are under investigation.
Why the man has been allowed to roam freely without being arrested is simply mind boggling. It appears that the law applies differently, depending on who you are. This issue came to public attention sometime in August this year, yet the police had not arrested or invited this man for question regarding the rape allegation.
It has come out that he is a Constituency Secretary of the ruling party and the question in the public domain is that, is it because he is a political figure that is why he is still walking around without questioning? I believe in the rule of law so let us hold our breadth and let the proper thing be done.
The police must however be seen to be active in this matter. God bless.
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