A laboratory Scientist, Mr Adeniyi Fagbamiyi, has advised men above 40 years of age to go for Prostrate-Specific Antigen (PSA) test at least once annually to know the state of antigen in their body.
Fagbamiyi, who works with the Lagos State Primary Health Care Board (LSPHCB), gave the advice in an interview on Thursday in Lagos.
He defined PSA test as a blood test used primarily to screen for prostate cancer; the test measures the amount of PSA in the blood.
According to him, the PSA test is very necessary because it helps in early detection of the level at which a man is predisposed to the risk of developing prostrate cancer, stressing that early detection is key to the management of the disease.
Fagbamiyi, who described prostrate cancer as a silent killer, said that the cancer does not easily show any sign/symptoms in the body until when it has already caused damage in the cell.
The Lab Scientist explained that PSA level/result of between 0 to four(4) nanogram is normal, while any result above four nanogram was abnormal and would requires further advanced test.
“The PSA test is the leading method of screening for prostate cancer. PSA screening can help catch the disease at an early stage when treatment may be more effective and potentially have fewer side effects.
“Why this test is very important for men to go for it at least once a year in order to know the level of prostate in body is because prostate cancer is a rapid problem in the world now especially in this part of the world that has fast growth of this kind of disease (prostrate cancer) that men do have.
“And it is a silent killer that does not easily show any sign/symptoms until when it has already caused a damage in the cell.
“The normal average figure of PSA test is between 0 to 4 nanogram and anything above that 4 nanogram is abnormal and will require further advanced test. A higher PSA result means that there is a greater chance that you have prostate cancer.
“Therefore, it is imperative that men do the test so that, incase there’s any issue; it will be detected in time because early detection is key,” Fagbamiyi said.
The Lab Scientist emphasised that age was a major risk factor for prostrate cancer, saying that the older a man becomes, the higher his chances of developing prostrate cancer.
According to him, every man has prostrate in the body, but men above 40 years of age are at greater risk of having prostrate cancer.
On the causes of prostrate cancer, Fagbamiyi said that Scientists had not come out to state the exact cause of the disease, but it was usually linked to environmental and genetic factors.
He identified high sugar level, excessive consumption of carbohydrate foods and low intake of fiber foods with less vegetables as major contributing factors.
“Every man has prostrate in the body, but there is a tendency for those above 40 years of age to have abnormal cells developing because of the rapid growth of cells within that age range.
“Presently, the exact causes of prostrate cancer has not been scientifically established, but there are some traces to it.
“One of them is because of what we consume; most of the things we consume in this part of the world are usually carbohydrates that contains sugar; and these sugar accumulate together to form tumour in the body.
“When there is too much of carbohydrates in the body system and the person is not eating balance diet, there is possibility of such person to have abnormal cells producing; which if those abnormal cells now produce more, they come together to form tumour – cancer,” he said.