Minister of Health, Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew is appealing to men over 40 to have their prostates examined regularly so that abnormalities that could develop into prostate cancer can be detected and treated early.
Drew, who is a medical doctor with specialist training as an internist, revealed on Thursday that he recently had a prostate examination performed as part of his regular health screenings.
The prime minister said prostate examinations are particularly important for Caribbean men as globally, the region accounts for some of the highest rates of prostate cancer which presents in an unusually aggressive form.
“I recently had my prostate tested, as I am a black Caribbean man over the age of 40 and we suffer the most aggressive type of prostate cancer. I strongly encourage all men of screening age to get tested,” said Prime Minister Drew.
“There are free men’s clinics available at every health centre in St. Kitts. The sad news is that our men are not attending in large numbers.Get tested my fellow men. Let us beat prostate cancer together,” he continued.
According to the United States-based National Institutes of Health (NIH), “Globally, the Caribbean has one of the largest age-standardised prostate cancer incidences which is 0.076% (76 males).”
“Afro-Caribbean men have a higher risk of prostate cancer than any other population of men in the world,” the NIH continued.
This means that of every 100,000 Caribbean males. 76 will be diagnosed annually with prostate cancer.
Johns Hopkins Medical is among the leading cancer research hospitals in the world. According to them, “In general, the earlier prostate cancer is caught, the more likely it is for a man to get successful treatment and remain disease-free. The overall prognosis for prostate cancer is among the best of all cancers.”
It was further noted that once diagnosed early, the 5 year survival rate is 100 percent; 10 year survival rate is 98 percent and the 15 year survival rate is 95 percent.
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