Lagos — UNITED States (U.S.) - based physician, Dr. Chudi Achebe, has raised an alarm over the high incidence of prostate cancer among Nigerian men.

According to him, a recent research has shown that the ailment has become the leading cases among Nigerians, constituting about 11 percent of all male cancer in the country.

Dr. Achebe, who is the Medical Director of Whittier Street Health Center, Boston, Massachusetts, stated this in a public discourse, he co-authored with Victoria Howard-Robinson.

"African American men have the highest rate of prostate cancer in the world and the lowest rate of survival.

"Incidentally, the clinical prostate cancer rate in Nigeria may be as great as that noted in black men in the U.S., which may suggest a common enhancing genetic predisposition," he said.

Prostate cancer occurs when, a mass of extra cells form life-threatening tissues resulting in tumours in the prostate, which is located between the male's rectum and bladder and vital to the reproductive system.

Dr. Achebe lamented the huge consequences of the disease, saying "there is a clear need for public health policy that encourages men at risk-age 40 and above -, to obtain annual Digital Rectal Exams (DRC) during physical exams".

He urged government to ensure "adequate investment in laboratories fully equipped for serum screening test Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) for early and appropriate diagnosis, to tame this malignant menace".

"The fight against this malignancy will require increase funding as well as clinical research on the disease involving subjects at risk," in the country," he added.

He said the recent findings of the National Medical Association's journal indicated that "the medical age of affected patients was 67.5 years with variance at 5.6, and the mean age 71.4 years with 14.3 variance".

The results, according to him, showed that "despite the absence of screening programme in the country, the number of sufferers has increased," with higher incidence being projected if screenings were undertaken.

However, a new study by US researchers had shown that, "a low-fat, high-fibre diet and regular exercise, can slow prostate cancer cell growth by up to 30 per cent."