MEN are being urged to overcome their reluctance to seek medical attention and prioritise prostate cancer screening, as health professionals raise concerns about late diagnosis and its devastating impact on families.
Senior medical scientist Josese Mailulu, who has more than 25 years of experience in the medical field, said many men continued to delay seeking medical advice until the disease had reached an advanced stage.
Concerned by the number of late-stage cases, Mr Mailulu said his facility, Pacific Laboratory Specialist, had invested in an analyser to provide prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing, with the aim of encouraging more men to take a proactive approach to their health.
“One of our main objectives is to know your normal, as most cases that come to our door are at a very late stage,” he said.
Mr Mailulu emphasised that a PSA test did not diagnose prostate cancer but could identify abnormal results that required further medical investigation.
Men with concerning results would be referred to a urologist for additional tests to determine whether cancer was present.
He said one of the biggest challenges remained convincing men to seek medical attention before the disease progressed.
Referring to 2023 figures, Mr Mailulu said approximately 50 men had died from prostate cancer, describing the number as alarming.
He said the impact of each death extended well beyond the individual, leaving wives, children and families to cope with the loss of husbands and fathers.
“Early detection saves lives. If your prostate is detected early, you can be cured.”
As part of Movember awareness activities, Mr Mailulu is encouraging men aged 50 and above to undergo prostate cancer screening and become more aware of their health.
He is also calling on companies, non-governmental organisations and other stakeholders to support screening initiatives and help make testing more accessible to men.
Mr Mailulu urged men not to wait until symptoms became severe before seeking medical advice, stressing that early screening and timely medical intervention could save lives and spare families the heartbreak of losing loved ones to a disease that may be treatable when detected early.
