ABSTRACT
Background: Prostate cancer often co-exists with other diseases. It accounts for 11% of all cancers in Nigerian men, and it is the commonest cause of mortality due to cancer in elderly males in Nigeria.. Objective: To present co-morbid medical conditions and medical complications of prostate cancer in patients with the disease in Southern Nigeria. Patients and methods: The study was carried out prospectively (2002 to2003) at University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), and Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH) Nnewi- both in Southern Nigeria. Using common proforma, patients who presented to the urology units of the two teaching hospitals were evaluated clinically and with relevant investigations for prostate cancer and other diseases. Those with histologically confirmed prostate cancer were included in this study. Data was also collected retrospectively by using the same proforma to obtain information from case files of 37 patients diagnosed with prostate cancer at UPTH. Data from the two institutions were collated and analysed. Results: Of 189 cases analysed, 73.4% had significant medical co-morbid diseases/complications. These included anaemia (69.8%), urinary tract infection (56.1%), chronic renal failure (33.9%), hypertension (41.8%), diabetes mellitus (9.5%), paraplegia (9.5%), congestive cardiac failure (9.0%) and cerebrovascular disease (5.3%). Conclusion / Recommendations: These patients had high disease burden. Improved health education and well coordinated interdisciplinary team work are suggested in managing this malignancy.
ABSTRACT
Background: Prostate cancer is a common health problem world wide. Age is its strong risk factor. Objective:To study the relationship between age at presentation and pathological features of prostate cancer in patients with the disease in South-Southern Nigeria. Materials and Methods: Pathology slides of prostate specimens and clinical data were studied. Those with histological diagnosis of prostate cancer had these features analysed statistically. Results: Three hundred and eighty three cases of adenocarcinoma of the prostate were studied. A falling mean age at presentation was observed. Observed pathological features had no statististically significant variation with ages. Poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma was the most common variant. Conclusion: The mean age at presentation of prostate cancer patients in Port Harcourt is decreasing. Gleason’s score and level of cellular differentiation of the tumours have no statistically significant relationship with ages of the patients. These observations and the preponderance of poorly differentiated variant of the disease in Nigerian patients merit further studies.