Awareness of Prostate Cancer and the Use of PSA as A Screening Test among the Black Race: South - South and South-East Nigeria, Nigerian Experience

Abstract

Background: Prostate cancer is the number one cancer in men with increasing incidence, morbidity and mortality in men of black ancestry. Early detection and appropriate treatment of majority of solid tumours including cancer of the Prostate, (CAP), usually lead to a reduction in cancer-related mortality and morbidity. Such goals can only be attained when patients are aware of the disease, present early and are willing to be treated when diagnosed. Most of our patients present late and so are hardly good candidates for ‘curative’ treatment options if detected; hence the need to know why the late presentation and opinion on treatment of asymptomatic early stage cancer of the prostate in the developing world. Aims and objectives: To determine the awareness of cancer of the prostate, the use of Prostate Specific Antigen, (PSA), as a screening test for cancer of the prostate. It is also to determine the willingness of candidates to be treated when asymptomatic cancer of the prostate is detected. Subjects and methods: Males in Southern Nigeria were invited to complete a self-administered questionnaire structured to test the awareness of cancer of the prostate (CAP), and also the use of PSA as a screening test. They were also to indicate their willingness to be treated or not in the event of detection the disease when asymptomatic. The extracted data were set in Microsoft @ Office Excel 2007 spread sheet, imported into and analyzed using IBM SPSS version 21 Result: A total of 44, 564 of 72,000 questionnaires distributed were completed and returned. Their mean age was 45.1 years. Overall, 30660 (68.8%) of the respondents were aware of the existence of CAP. Only 1429 (3.2%) indicated their willingness to be treated in the event of being diagnosed with asymptomatic CAP; an overwhelming percentage of 39,162 (87.7%) would prefer not to be treated if diagnosed with asymptomatic prostate cancer; while the rest 4153 (9.3%) had no opinion. Conclusion: Most Nigerian men are aware of cancer of the prostate. They are also aware of the use of PSA as a screening test but would prefer not to be treated if diagnosed with asymptomatic prostate cancer. Prostate screening is unlikely to reduce prostate cancer morbidity and mortality in Nigeria. Summary: We looked at the awareness of black race (Nigerian males) of cancer of the prostate, the use of PSA as a screening test and willingness to be treated if diagnosed with asymptomatic cancer. Nigerian men are aware but unwilling to be treated if diagnosed with asymptomatic cancer of the prostate