LONDON DIARY: Remind Your Father, Your Husband And Your Elder Brothers – To Check Their Prostates

Strangely, as an African man above 60 years old, I knew very little, and cared very little, about my prostate health – until it was almost too late for me.

A random medical check-up last year in Abuja, Nigeria, discovered that I had advanced prostate cancer – without knowing so – and my Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) levels had already gone many levels above the normal range for men my age.

A simple prostate specific antigen test could have rung the alarm bells about my precarious health situation much, much earlier – and could have made my condition much easier to treat.

Simply put: I was a walking corpse. And death is a subject which I am mortally afraid of. And I think you should be, too…

The Blue Ribbon: Spare a Thought for Prostate Cancer Survivors, Show Awareness

When a few close friends asked me: “How are you?” I scared them even further when I replied them, in jest, although the joke was not original to me: “I’m OK. But I shouldn’t be here.” And to the next logical question: “Where should you be?” I replied with a straight face: “In the mortuary…”

Lack of awareness is, indeed, the major drawback to early detection and treatment of prostate cancer among Black men – in Africa, Europe, North America and virtually everywhere else Black men are…

However, it pleased God to keep me alive, and to restore me to good health: with the support of the great organization I worked for then, the United Nations; the infinite assistance of its leaders in Nigeria and abroad; and the great work of eminent Nigerian and European medical doctors and nurses in Abuja, Nigeria and in Aachen, Germany.

Although I listened to the media campaigns by Black, African American and European cultural icons that African and African American men should take their prostate health very seriously, since prostate cancer has a greater prevalence among black men, I never really took the campaign very seriously – beyond the pleasure of listening to and watching those great personalities.

But now, my ears – and eyes – have opened, after I went through my traumatic prostate cancer surgery and treatment which kept me bedridden for about six months.

Now, anytime I hear, or see, the words “prostate” or “prostate cancer,” my hackles rise – and I pay close attention.

The Rise and Rise of Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer is on the rise across the world. For Nigerian men, the medical journal, The Lancelot (November 2019), says prostate cancer is both the most common and most deadly cancer, with 32·8 cases and 16·3 deaths per 100,000 men. This is more than double the mortality in North America, with an estimated 80% of Nigerians incurable on diagnosis.

In the United States of America, according to the National Cancer Institute, prostate cancer is the second most common type of cancer among men. Black men in the United States are more likely to be diagnosed with and to die from prostate cancer vs. men of other backgrounds.

In the UK, the latest figures on prostate cancer are “shocking,” says the Daily Mail (February 18, 2025). Indeed, prostate cancer has overtaken breast cancer as the most diagnosed form of Cancer. One in four Black men in the UK will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime and one in twelve will die from the disease – double the risk faced by white men. Black men are also more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer at a younger age than men of other ethnicities, but an alarming 86% are oblivious to the increased danger they face.

According to the UK INDEPENDENT Newspaper (Sept. 30, 2024), research shows that 69 per cent of Black adults are unaware that Black men face a twofold increased risk of developing prostate cancer in their lifetime (than their White counterparts).

In the UK, many celebrities are calling on Black communities to confront their increased risk of prostate cancer and break down longstanding taboos that prevent men from speaking out about the disease. The celebrities are ramping up efforts to get Black men across the country talking about their risk of prostate cancer and taking action.

It’s so important that we raise awareness of prostate cancer and the increased risk Black men face. If more people know about prostate cancer, then, together, the world can reduce the number of people dying from the disease.

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men globally, and it affects millions of people around the world indirectly. In 2020, there were reportedly 1.4 million new cases of prostate cancer and 375,000 deaths from the disease worldwide. It is estimated that prostate cancer mortality will almost double over the next 20 years. (Pharmaforum, Dec. 02, 2022).

Risk factors of prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is the uncontrolled growth of cells in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Prostate cancer is the second-most common cancer among men in the U.S. Prostate cancer is also the second-leading cause of cancer death among men.

Science has not yet fully discovered exactly what causes prostate cancer – a malignant lump in the prostate gland. However, Prostate Cancer UK says certain risk factors may increase the chances of developing prostate cancer:

• Age - the risk of getting prostate cancer increases from the age of 50.
• Ethnicity - Black people have a higher risk of getting prostate cancer; have more information about risks and symptoms if you are Black and have a prostate.
• Family history - the risk is higher if you have a father or brother who has had prostate cancer or a mother who has had breast cancer.
• Body weight - being very overweight (obese) may increase the risk of having a more advanced prostate cancer.

The Macmillan Cancer Support Group affirms that in the UK, about 1 in 8 men are diagnosed with it each year. For Black men, the rate is 1 in 4.

The International Prostate Cancer Foundation says there are over 3 million men living with prostate cancer in the United States. And prostate cancer is 99% treatable if detected early. For 2024, it was estimated that some 300,000 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer in the USA alone, and over 35,000 men died of prostate cancer.

African American men are more likely to be diagnosed at an advanced stage, are 1.7 times more likely to be diagnosed with—and 2.1 times more likely to die from—prostate cancer than white men. 1 in 6 will develop prostate cancer in his lifetime. And 1 in 44 will die of the disease. Having a father or brother with prostate cancer more than doubles a man’s risk of developing this disease.

Artificial Intelligence to the Rescue
Mercifully, Medical Science, and, more recently, Artificial Intelligence, are rising in defence of humanity against the scourge of prostate cancer. A new Artificial Intelligence “Supper Test” for prostate cancer discovered recently in the United Kingdom, may be up to 99% accurate. The game-changing AI test, discovered by a group based at Cambridge Science Park, England, searches for biological markers of prostate cancer, such as proteins and genes, which are then analysed using an AI algorithm to produce a result. The result will show clearly if a man has prostate cancer – and if it is a slow or an aggressive type of prostate cancer. Glory Be…

However, a lot remains to be done, especially in raising awareness and in taking practical action by Black Men, those most at risk, to present themselves for tests – whether by Human Intelligence or by Artificial Intelligence.

Over the years, legendary Black film stars, music icons and sports greats from all over the world have rallied together to confront prostate cancer – the most common cancer in Black men. Indeed, March 01, 2025, is the Global Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.

Many Black stars, medical doctors, nurses, sundry professionals and other men and women of goodwill continue to back new prostate cancer awareness campaigns worldwide.

But are Black men listening?
Dr Onyemaobi is the Chairman of the Editorial Board of The Nigerian Voice.