LAGOS – A Consultant Urologist and Associate Professor at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Rufus Ojewola, has dismissed widespread misconceptions suggesting that frequent sexual activity can reduce the risk of prostate cancer.
Speaking in an interview with journalists in Lagos on Thursday, Ojewola said there was no scientific evidence supporting claims that prostate cancer was caused or prevented by sexual behaviour, multiple sexual partners or sexually transmitted infections.
“There have been insinuations and misconceptions about prostate cancer. Some people attribute it to spiritual attacks, multiple sexual partners and sexually transmitted diseases, but scientifically, these are not true,” he said.
The urologist explained that the major risk factors associated with prostate cancer were ageing, race and heredity, noting that black men were more susceptible to the disease than men of other races.
According to him, family history also plays a significant role, as prostate cancer can run in families.
Ojewola urged men to prioritise regular medical screening and early diagnosis, stressing that awareness remained critical in reducing complications associated with prostate diseases.
He also advocated a multidisciplinary approach in the diagnosis, treatment and management of prostate cancer, saying effective care required collaboration among specialists from different branches of medicine.
The medical expert said professionals such as urologists, haematologists, radiologists, laboratory scientists, radiographers and pathologists all contributed to comprehensive prostate cancer care.
“It takes more than one specialist to diagnose, treat and manage a patient with prostate disease,” he said, adding that laboratory investigations and imaging studies such as ultrasound scans were often necessary for proper treatment planning and patient management.
Also speaking, Adisa Adeleke, a Laboratory Scientist and Managing Partner at ISN Medicals Nigeria Ltd., advised men to seek medical attention early whenever they noticed symptoms linked to prostate conditions.
Adeleke said early detection remained one of the most effective ways of managing prostate cancer, adding that the disease had about a 95 per cent survival rate when detected and treated early.
He further encouraged men aged 40 and above to undergo annual Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) screening to aid early diagnosis and proper management of prostate-related disorders.
