Abstract
Prostate cancer (CaP) disparities in the black man calls for concerted research efforts. This review explores the trend and focus of CaP research activities in Nigeria, one of the ancestral nations for black men. It seeks to locate the place of the Nigerian research environment in the global progress on CaP disparities. Literature was reviewed mainly through a Pubmed search with the terms “prostate cancer”and “Nigeria”, as well as from internet and hard copies of journal pages.Findings: One of the earliest publications about CaP in Nigeria was in 1973 from the nation’s 1st tertiary hospital in Ibadan, reporting low incidence, followed by a lull of nearly one decade. In 1980, the incidence rate of CaP was reported as almost similar for black men in Ibadan and Washington and from then on, research work from surgeons and pathologists, from the south to the north, east to west, continued to report increasing prevalence of CaP. Apart from epidemiology, other areas of research include KAP (knowledge attitude and practice) studies (poor education of caregivers and population), histopathology (mostly adenocarcinoma), diagnosis (digital rectal examination [DRE], prostate specific antigen [PSA], ultrasound), clinical features (late presentation and high mortality), and prevention (lifestyle, education and screening). As of today there is a gaping dearth of molecular and genetic studies. Conclusion: The global focus on CaP disparities in black men calls for more efforts from Africa, in all areas of research, along with international collaborations for capacity building.
Highlights
Prostate Cancer has become the number one cancer in men with increasing incidence and morbidity in men of black African ancestry [1]
Cameroon in 1994, asked the question “Is prostate cancer rare in black Africa?” while Osegbe [11] in a report from Lagos where the hospital incidence was put at 127/105, surmised that incidence of CaP may be underestimated in Nigerians
Similar reports of increasing hospital based incidence came from other parts of Nigeria with rates of 61.3/105 from Calabar [12] and 182.5/105 from Ife [13]
Summary
Prostate Cancer has become the number one cancer in men with increasing incidence and morbidity in men of black African ancestry [1]. Its incidence and prevalence in black men is in multiples of those from other races in several studies [2]. The reason for this is not yet clear cut and an explanation for the disparity may lie in studies involving black men from different populations to see if there is an enhancing factor associated with the racial origins of these men. Nigeria is an ancestral home of many black men living outside Africa and it is hoped that an exploration of research activities emanating from the country may shed some light on the disparity [3]. Odedina et al [4] recommend the need to focus on areas of genetic and environmental risk factors in the group
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