06 Oct 2013

Tati Town Customary Court president, Kgosi Ludo Mosojane has implored Batswana to seek medical help in the early stages of their ailments.

Speaking at the Cancer Awareness Day organised by the Men’s Sector of the ministries of agriculture and that of environment, wildlife and tourism in Francistown on October 4, Kgosi Mosojane said some people failed to use new medical interventions because they believed that diseases could be treated the traditional way.

Kgosi Mosojane said because of this belief, some people delayed accessing medical facilities for ailments such as cancer as they believed that activities such as religious sacrifices and others could heal them.

A doctor from Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital, Dr Mandlenkosi Mthunzi, said many factors such as a person’s way of life, diet, genes and the environment could lead to cancer.

Dr Mthunzi said the treatment of cancer depended on its stage and that most of the cancers could be treated in stages one and two. He implored people to always take care of their bodies and also to take note of any changes so that cancer could be detected in its early stages.

The most common cancers in men were penile and prostate cancer and chances of penile cancer were high in men with human papillomavirus (HPV), he explained. He said the virus was common in men who werenot circumcised and that in order to reduce penile cancer, one must have one sexual partner and must always wash the penis properly with soap.

The medical doctor elaborated that the symptoms of penile cancer could be in the form of a sore, lesion, or growth on or within the penis, bleeding or discharge from the penis. Dr Mthunzi noted that African men were 60 per cent more likely to develop prostate cancer than non-African men.

He said usually men of 60 years and above developed prostate cancer and that obesity increased chances of developing the cancer. Dr Mthunzi pointed out that symptoms of prostate cancer were frequent urination and blood in urine and semen and decreased force in the stream of urine.

For his part, Department of Forestry and Range Resources coordinator, Mr Letsholo Dithapo, said the day was organised by Men’s Sector to share information on cancer.  The day was also characterized by a stiletto walk by men and breast screening. Ends