Men in Guyana are being urged to get screened for prostate cancer, especially those 50 years and older. The call was made by Dr. Syed Ghazi, Director of Outreach at the Cancer Institute of Guyana, during an interview on the Starting Point podcast hosted by Kiana Wilberg.
Dr. Ghazi explained that prostate cancer is the second most common cancer among men, following lung cancer. He said too many men ignore their health and avoid medical screening because they believe they are “macho” and do not want to visit the doctor.
He noted that men over 50 should do yearly screenings, which include a PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen) blood test, an ultrasound, and a digital examination by a doctor. If anything suspicious is found, a biopsy is done to confirm the diagnosis.
According to Dr. Ghazi, while most prostate enlargements are benign, some can develop into cancer if left unchecked. He warned that negligence often leads to late detection, making it difficult to save patients.
He also pointed out that smoking and obesity increase the risk of prostate and other cancers, such as lung and liver cancer. Dr. Ghazi said men who have smoked two packs of cigarettes a day for more than 20 years should also be screened for lung cancer.
The Cancer Institute of Guyana continues to provide screening and treatment services, and Dr. Ghazi urged men to take advantage of them. He reminded that simple tests can save lives and that early detection makes cancer curable.
“So please consider it a request, an appeal to you all who are watching this, that please take care of yourself, screen yourself regularly, cervical cancer, pap smears, you know, they have been done at Cancer Institute,” Dr. Ghazi appealed. “Together, we can beat this monster.”
