By Laudia Anyorkor Nunoo
Tema, Sept. 13, GNA — Dr John Nana Nkrumah, a Urologist and Senior Specialist at the GPHA Clinic and the International Maritime Hospital (ImaH), has cautioned men against relying on symptoms to determine whether they have prostate cancer.
He said the disease could remain silent even when it had advanced.
Dr Nkrumah said prostate cancer was largely asymptomatic and some men could have the disease without experiencing any obvious warning signs.
He made the observation during a discussion on prostate cancer at a media forum powered by the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), as part of activities marking the prostate cancer awareness and screening month.
He said by the time some men began experiencing noticeable symptoms, the disease could already have progressed significantly.
He said the symptoms could broadly be grouped into prostate-related symptoms and cancer-specific symptoms, explaining that because the prostate was located below the bladder and around the urethra, enlargement of the prostate could constrict the urinary passage and cause difficulty in urinating.
Other urinary symptoms, he said, included waking several times at night to urinate, frequent urination, urgency, hesitancy and intermittency.
Dr Nkrumah, however, cautioned that such urinary symptoms did not necessarily mean that a person had cancer, although prostate cancer could also cause them.
He said cancer-specific symptoms could emerge when the disease had spread, particularly to the bones, saying, “Bone is the main place that it usually moves to,” explaining that prostate cancer that had metastasised could cause bone pain and lower back pain.
He added that advanced disease could also cause anaemia, weakness and wasting as a result of the cancer affecting the bones.
He said the appearance of such cancer-specific symptoms could indicate that the disease had already progressed beyond the prostate, making treatment more focused on managing symptoms and improving the patient’s quality of life.
He therefore urged men not to wait until they experienced symptoms before seeking medical attention.
The urologist said early screening remained important because a person could have prostate cancer without knowing it and without showing symptoms.
He urged men experiencing persistent urinary problems to seek medical attention rather than attempting to manage the condition themselves, noting that frequent urination, difficulty starting urination, straining and urinary retention could indicate prostate-related problems requiring medical assessment.
He said if patients have already visited the hospital and treatment did not resolve symptoms, they should return to the hospital and provide feedback to their doctors, explaining that persistent symptoms could prompt clinicians to reconsider the initial diagnosis and investigate other possible causes.
The urologist noted that medical investigations and the patient’s account of continuing symptoms could provide important clues for determining the appropriate course of treatment.
Dr Nkrumah also cautioned men against choosing between frequent urination and difficulty passing urine as though either condition was preferable, stressing that both could indicate underlying prostate problems and required medical attention.
He noted that severe urinary obstruction could result in urine retention and potentially affect kidney function.
He therefore encouraged men with persistent urinary symptoms to consult qualified medical practitioners.
GNA
Edited by Christabel Addo
Reporter: Laudia Anyorkor Nunoo
Email: [email protected]