Nyandarua County Health Practitioners have lauded men for turning up in large numbers to seek prostate cancer screening services, even as the breast cancer awareness month comes to a close.
Ol Kalou Empower Clinic that is a special unit for cancer screening has witnessed more men seek the initial screening in October, with treatment going on at the facility.
Oncology and Palliative Care Clinician, Stephen Kariuki Mwangi said women too, who were taken through the Via Vili as an initial screen for cervical cancer and clinical breast cancer examinations, turned up in large numbers.
“For elderly women we are doing Pap smear at our labs as the County has deployed a Cytologist and Pathologists for timely testing at a friendly rate,” added Kariuki noting that NHIF catered for the tests.
More males had their blood sugar levels tested with Kariuki noting that, “A number had their Prostate- Specific Antigen (PSA) levels elevated and were asked them to return after a week for further examination that may include Biopsy and Radiological tests.
Kariuki, who noted that the PSA level tests were initially done before advancing to PA rectal exams that were done in a friendly manner, said that cryotherapy and thermos-abrasion was also being done, with samples being taken for further lab testing.
“The patients have a right to decide what they want, once they are diagnosed with cancer, we don’t force anything on them and only refer with their consent,” added the Clinician.
Pallaitive Care Nurse Lucy Kinuthia called on women to continually visit the facility for screening as early diagnosis helps in timely treatment.
“We encourage women to always do self-physical breast examination. We have seen young girls getting lumps in their breasts and this, when noted earlier, could be ruled out whether it is cancer or not,” said Ms. Kinuthia.
While calling on mothers to bring their young girls for Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccines that was free of charge, Kinuthia noted that the virus caused cervical cancer.
“Once the girls are sexually exposed, they automatically become candidates for cervical cancer screening as the HPV exists in males but only affects women on sexual encounters.
“We are targeting girls at the age of 10, with the assumption that they are not yet exposed, to cover them against the cancerous virus,” added the Nurse.
By Anne Sabuni
