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Stakeholders in the fight against prostate cancer have called on African governments and research institutions to prioritise Africa-based clinical trials, stressing that without homegrown solutions, men on the continent will continue to face late diagnoses, poor treatment outcomes, and rising mortality due to prostate cancer.
The call was made in Lagos during the 20th anniversary of the Prostate Cancer Transatlantic Consortium (CAPTC), a network of researchers, clinicians, and survivors.
A Professor of Haematology and Oncology at the Mayo Clinic, Prof. Folakemi Odedina, said African men continue to face a disproportionate burden of prostate cancer, with late diagnoses driving up death rates. She noted that the disease, often called a “silent killer,” inflicts devastating consequences on families when discovered too late.
She observed that men of African descent are more likely to be diagnosed at advanced stages and suffer worse outcomes compared to those in Europe or North America. According to her, every number in the statistics represents a family that has been shattered, underscoring the need for unrelenting efforts to tackle the disease.
She emphasised that men must be informed about prostate cancer because when detected early, it can often be cured. She lamented that many patients arrive at hospitals too late. She added that treatment approaches used in Western countries may not always be effective in Africa, making it necessary to design interventions that are tailored to local conditions.
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Odedina further said the consortium is training future African scientists, clinicians, and advocates to sustain the mission of eliminating prostate cancer among men of African ancestry. She explained that although CAPTC has secured over $50 million in funding and published significant research, much more still needs to be done in the coming decades.
Echoing a similar view, Professor Solomon Rotimi of Covenant University emphasised the importance of Africa-based clinical trials. He argued that since most cancer drugs are tested in Europe and America, their effectiveness for African populations remains questionable. He pointed out that treatments developed abroad cannot be applied locally without taking into account genetic, dietary, and environmental differences.
Rotimi explained that CAPTC had pioneered investigator-led trials in Nigeria and carried out genome sequencing for African men, leading to tailored therapies that are now shaping global practice. He also linked vitamin D deficiency, which is common among Black populations, to higher cancer risks, and encouraged men to monitor their vitamin D levels.
In his keynote address, A professor at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Clayton Yate, praised CAPTC’s achievements, including its role in sequencing prostate cancer genomes for African American men. However, he warned that unless access to care improves, many African men will continue to lose their lives unnecessarily.
Source: Guardian Nigeria | Read the Full Story…
