US NRIs more susceptible to prostate cancer

AHMEDABAD: A study on prostate cancer affecting Indians settled in the US has shown that migrants become more susceptible to the the urological cancer compared to their kin back home. This has been largely blamed on the increased intake of processed meat and foods in the US; such foods are comparatively uncommon in India.

A leading US-based prostate cancer surgeon, Dr Ashok Hemal, who was heading a delegation to the two-day ‘Prostate Cancer Masterclass’, said the study revealed that the incidence of prostate cancer grew among Indians settled in the US comparably with that among the Caucasian population. The masterclass concluded on Sunday

The course director, Dr Hemang Bakshi, said that incidence of prostate cancer in Indian men is 4-5 in 1 lakh population; in the US it is nearly 15-16 in 1 lakh population.

A UK-based urological surgeon, Omer Karim, said that robotics is a game changer in treating prostate cancer as it gives surgeons greater manoeuvrability to reach and remove the organ, which is located deep inside the pelvis. Karim, however, advocated early diagnosis as the best treatment. “No matter how advanced the surgical solution, men over 40 and 50 should get PSA antigen test done. Prostate cancer is silent in initial stages,” he said. “Prognosis is bad when prostate cancer is diagnosed at an advanced stage.”