BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, Jan. 23.2018 – DOCTOR Terrance Drew has made a plea for men in St. Kitts and Nevis, to take their prostate health seriously.
That call comes against the backdrop of the Federation continuing to grapple with the growing problem of cancer.
Addressing a large gathering at the Old Girls School last evening (Jan.22) during ‘A conversation for health’ with several prominent practitioners, he indicated that as of late, the topic of cancer has been a very big issue in the federation.
He acknowledges that men are often scared to get screened for the ailment in St. Kitts and Nevis, but he noted that it is the only way they can get an early diagnosis.
Dr. Drew explained that for men prostate cancer is the leading cause of death.
He stated that as men age, their chances of developing the ailment increases, while black men are at a higher risk of developing such.
“So, what I would encourage men to do is, if you know you have a strong family history of prostate cancer or you are forty and above as a black man or non-white man you should really be visiting your doctor and having a conversation about prostate cancer.”
The popular medical practitioner denied the myth that increased sexual activities is seen as one of the causes for the ailment, but he pointed to major risks factors, including alcohol consumption.
“We do know that lifestyles such as smoking and so forth can help to lead to prostate cancer. If a man lives long enough, he can develop prostate cancer, but the question becomes whether the prostate cancer would kill him or not?”
It has often been bandied that men in St. Kitts and Nevis are too “macho” to get screened for prostate cancer owing to the fact that the procedure used to screen men is often done through the rectum.
But the MD stressed that it is either a small finger during the procedure or a bigger device when individuals would have been diagnosed with the ailment.
“I know the method to help to detect early prostate cancer a lot of men don’t like, and this is what I say to them: look at this finger. It’s very small, but if you develop prostate cancer you have to go through all kind of procedures if you don’t catch it early. You would have probes as big as this (size of his fist)”.
At his practice, the MD indicated that he urged females to come along with or to encourage them send their spouse or partner to get screened.
