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US: You have been advised to bask in the sun long enough or eat a lot of fish, mushrooms, beef liver and eggs to lower your chances of getting prostate cancer.
According to a newly released study by Northwestern University in the United States, lack of enough vitamin D in your body which is richly found in the above foods or naturally synthesised by exposing one's body to sunlight can put one at risk of aggressive prostate cancer.
In fact, the study released in March suggests that men-especially those dark skinned-should have their vitamin D levels checked often to determine if they are at risk of the prostatic disease.
"Vitamin D deficiency may predict aggressive prostate cancer as a bio-marker. Men with dark skin, low vitamin D intake or low sunlight exposure should be tested for the deficiency when they are diagnosed with an elevated prostatic disease or prostate cancer. The deficiency could be corrected with supplements," said lead researcher Dr Adam Murphy, an assistant professor of urology at the university.
Aggressive prostate cancer is the one that has migrated to other parts of the body and usually more severe as one advances by age.
In Kenya, it can cost one up to Sh800,000 a year to treat aggressive cancer compared to just Sh10,000 when diagnosed early.
Dr Murphy's study was conducted in the United States where 190 men of average age of 64, who underwent a radical prostatectomy to remove their prostate from 2009 to 2014, were examined. Of that group, 87 men had aggressive cancer with those of African American descent being more vulnerable.
"Men of African descent who live in low sunlight locations are up to one and times at risk of vitamin D deficiency linked to the cancer compared to their counterparts. It is however very hard to have normal levels of vitamin D when you work in an office every day," noted Murphy.
There are about 10,000 cases of prostatic diseases reported every year in the country but many men are said to practice 'watchful waiting' until the cancer is advanced before they seek treatment.
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