Prostate cancer is one of the commonest types of cancer among men, especially those aged 40 years and above.
Also present was Rotarian Stephen
Mwanje, the chairman Uganda Rotary Cancer Programme that is spearheading
the construction of a Shs 1.1bn cancer ward at Nsambya hospital.
Construction of the 32-bed facility is already underway.
In the USA, where statistics are readily
available, prostate cancer is the second biggest killer after lung
cancer, claiming 30,000 victims every year. Speaking at the launch of
the campaign, the chief executive officer of ICEA, John Karionji, noted
that even with the reported growth in positive diagnosis and fatalities,
awareness about the disease is still limited, and therefore ICEA and
UHPI will address the gap.
“The partnership between ICEA and UHPI
seeks to address this information gap by disseminating relevant
knowledge about the disease,” he said.
A spotlight has been lit on other forms
of cancer including breast cancer and cancer of the cervix by different
organizations, and there is need to raise awareness about the ‘silent
killer’, as prostate cancer is commonly known.
Dr Frank Asiimwe, a urologist at Mulago
hospital, emphasized that age is one of the risk factors for this type
of cancer; one in every 10,000 men at the age of 40 years, one in every
103 men from age 40 to 50 years and one in every eight at the age of 60
to 70 years, suffers from prostate cancer.
He warned that family history, race and
diet are the other risk factors for the illness. Early signs and
symptoms of the cancer are best diagnosed by screening. The signs and
symptoms include urine obstruction, back pain and blood in urine.
He encouraged men to go for screening,
using the Digital Rectal Exam (DRE) and Trans Rectal Ultra Sound
(TRUSS), as the most preferred.
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