Lanre Jacob Sarcoma Foundation: HOW GENETIC TESTING CAN PREVENT INHERITED CANCERS

Lanre Jacob Sarcoma Foundation: HOW GENETIC TESTING CAN PREVENT INHERITED CANCERS:   HOW GENETIC TESTING CAN PREVENT INHERITED CANCERS SUCH AS BREAST,OVARIAN, COLORECTAL AND PROSTATE CANCERS. Genetic testing also ...

HOW GENETIC TESTING CAN PREVENT INHERITED CANCERS

 HOW GENETIC TESTING CAN PREVENT INHERITED CANCERS SUCH AS BREAST,OVARIAN, COLORECTAL AND PROSTATE CANCERS. 

                                   By Maryam Ajikobi

Genetic testing also known as DNA testing allows the determination of blood lines and the genetic diagnosis of vulnerabilities to inherited diseases.

To prevent or treat some hereditary cancers, taking a patient’s full family health history is critical. When there is a strong history of breast, ovarian, pancreatic, colon or prostate cancer in a family, other members are predisposed, and it will be important to have a genetic testing done to know if a person has inherited the gene that causes the inherited cancer. For instance, mutations in the BRCA genes are well-known genetic variants that can predispose a person to cancers that include breast, ovarian and prostate.

When physicians and genetic counselors have genetic and family information, they can guide patients on more precise prevention recommendations and treatment decisions. Genetic factors and family history can help inform when a man should be screened for prostate cancer, or when a biopsy to check for prostate cancer is a good idea. It can guide decisions on when a woman should start her mammogram screening and whether additional screening with an MRI is warranted. When cancer is detected, testing of the cancer’s genetic make-up can help doctors determine whether immediate treatment is necessary and the types of interventions that are likely to be most effective.

RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH INHERITED CANCERS. Your risk of having prostate cancer is doubled if your father or brother had prostate cancer. Your risk also depends on the age at which your relative was diagnosed. Men whose families carry the gene changes that cause breast cancer, BRCA1 or BRCA2, are thought to be at increased risk for prostate cancer.

Your risk of having ovarian cancer is doubled if your first-degree relatives (mother, daughter, sister), especially if two or more have had the disease. A family history of breast or colon cancer also is associated with an increased risk of developing ovarian cancer. Women who have had breast or colon cancer may be at greater risk.

If you’ve had breast cancer in one breast, you have an increased risk of developing cancer in the other breast. If your mother, sister or daughter was diagnosed with breast cancer, particularly at a young age, your risk of breast cancer is increased. Still, most of, many of people diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history of the disease. Certain gene mutations that increase the risk of breast cancer can be passed from parents to children. The most common gene mutations are referred to as BRCA1 and BRCA2. These genes can greatly increase your risk of breast cancer and other cancers, but they don’t make cancer inevitable.

HOW TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING
Get a genetic testing done today, visit http://humgene.com/services/genetic-testing/.You can discuss with a genetic counsellor if you are not sure of what to do (send your enquiry to info@humgene.com).

OTHER BENEFITS OF GENETIC TESTING
Genetic testing helps to identify people who are more prone to develop a medical condition that may be preventable. For example, asymptomatic people with the BRCA gene mutation (Harmful mutations in these genes may produce a hereditary breast-ovarian cancer syndrome in affected persons) may opt to remove their breasts and ovaries as a prophylactic measure (preventive or protective measure).

Similarly, individuals with a family history of familial adenomatous polyposis (an inherited disorder characterized by cancer of the large intestine (colon) and rectum) have been saved by colonoscopy (a procedure in which a trained specialist uses a long, flexible, narrow tube with a light and tiny camera on one end, called a colonoscope, passed through the anus to look inside your rectum and colon) and removal of growths in the colon or by colostomy (a surgical procedure to remove all or part of the colon). A smoker, with a cardiac family history, is cautioned well in advance to modify his lifestyle.

Maryam Ajikobi, A Sr. wrote this article for Lanre-Jacob Savcoma Cancer Foundation on request. She is a Human Geneticist and Counselor, trained in McGill University, Canada. She is currently a PhD Candidate Public Health and Epidemiology. She is passionate on how to prevent Genetic Disorder and diseased, especially inherited cancers such as breast, ovarian, prostate and colorectal cancers. She is the CEO of HumGene Limited, the first Genetic testing company in Nigeria.

Website: www.humgene.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/humgenelimited/
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References

Brown, J., Jhingran, A., Deavers, M., et al. Stromal tumors of the ovary. Raghavan, E., Brecher, M. L., Johnson, D. H., et al. (Eds.). (2006). Textbook of Uncommon Cancer. (3rd Edition). Chichester, England: John Wiley & Sons. 41: pp. 455-466
Matei, D. E., Schilder, J. M., & Michael, H. Germ cell tumors of the ovary. Raghavan, E., Brecher, M. L., Johnson, D. H., et al. (Eds.). (2006). Textbook of Uncommon Cancer. (3rd Edition). Chichester, England: John Wiley & Sons. 42: pp. 467-476.
“SEER Stat Fact Sheets: Breast Cancer”. NCI. Retrieved 18 June 2014.
“Prostate Cancer”. National Cancer Institute. Retrieved 16 July 2016.
www.usnews.com

Prostate Cancer and Nigerian Men

On Prostate Cancer and Nigerian Men 

By Motolani Ogunsanya, B. Pharm., PhD 

One out of seven men reading this will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. Prostate cancer is one of the most highly diagnosed cancers and the leading cause of cancer deaths among men in Nigeria. Similar to the rates seen in Black men from other populations, Nigerian men present with a higher stage and grade of prostate cancer and often the more aggressive ones.

Prostate cancer screening still remains the best available method of detecting prostate cancer early. There are two tests that are used to detect prostate cancer: the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and the digital rectal examination (DRE) test. The PSA test measures the level of PSA, a protein produced by cells of the prostate gland, in the blood. The DRE test involves checking (or palpating) the surface of the prostate gland for bumps, hard spots, and any other abnormalities.

Some of the risk factors for prostate cancer include increasing age, being male, positive family history of prostate cancer, ethnicity (being Black or African), and lifestyle (poor diet and lack of exercise). Prostate cancer may not produce symptoms in its early stages.  As a result, you may look healthy or even feel fine, and not know that there is a problem. If signs and symptoms are present, they may include:  – blood in the urine;  – the need to urinate frequently, especially at night;  – weak or interrupted urine flow;  – pain or a burning feeling while urinating;  – inability to urinate; and  – regular pain in the lower back, pelvis, or upper thighs.

When detected early, prostate cancer can be treated in time, and the chances of surviving are higher. If your risks are high already, a simple test can reduce the burden of complicated (palliative) treatment and the toll it takes on you and your loved one. However, prostate cancer screening rates are low among Nigerian men. There are many speculated reasons for this, which are not uncommon with Black men from other parts of the world. First, the practice of seeking proactive, preventative health measures, such as prostate cancer screening is not a common practice among men, especially Nigerian men. Low level of awareness about prostate cancer and its risk factors are also some of the speculated reasons for low screening rates. The invasiveness of the test (especially the DRE) has been reported to be a deterrent to undergoing screening. 

Prostate cancer screening is not also without its disadvantages. The tests are not always specific enough to detect prostate cancer. As a result, this can result in over-diagnosis especially of cancers that may not have led to clinical problems if they had been left untouched. In addition, the use of aggressive therapy on such cancers is associated with unnecessary risks of urinary, sexual and bowel dysfunction, which have been shown to significantly impact quality of life. Other factors include fatality, masculinity, and stigma. Men have been reported to visit their doctors less than women, and are often embarrassed to discuss their health issues. Statistically, one out of four men did not visit a doctor in the past twelve months. As a result, prostate cancer is often diagnosed at later stages, when the odds of survival are low. The good news, however, is that if detected early, prostate cancer is often treatable and curable. 

So, who should get tested?

- From age 50 onwards, discuss having a prostate checkup with your doctor.
- If there is a family history of prostate cancer, then a checkup should form part of your general checkup from age 40.
- Any time you experience any urinary symptoms, get a checkup.

Unfortunately, cancer, especially, prostate cancer still remains heavily stigmatized in Nigeria. To achieve a healthier nation, we need to begin to talk more comfortably about reducing the stigma associated with cancer. It does not bode us well to keep suffering in silence, especially when help is often around the corner. It’s November - prostate cancer month, and I’d like to use this as a medium to promote prostate health. While prostate cancer screening is not for everyone, it is essential to discuss your risk factors and susceptibility to this disease with your doctor. I would also like to urge the women (mothers, daughter, sisters, aunts, cousins, nieces, etc.) in these men’s lives to talk to them and remind them to get their yearly examinations done and also assess their prostate cancer risk.
For peace of mind, yours and your loved ones’, the first step to preventing prostate cancer deaths is early detection. This begins by first talking to your doctor. 

Dr. Ogunsanya, an Associate Professor, writes for LJSCF from Oklahoma University. She is passionate about cancer advocacy and reducing cancer incidence rates. Dr. Ogunsanya's research focuses on health economics and outcomes research using mixed methodologies. Her research interests primarily involve understanding health behaviors among underserved, minority groups and the use of patient-reported outcomes to capture disease burden in patients with rare diseases, cancer, and other disease conditions. Additional research interests include examining quality of life through theoretical frameworks and large-scale retrospective database analyses.

Website: http://bit.do/drmog

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/motolani/

References  

 Center for Cancer Prevention & Control Prevention and Health Promotion Administration Maryland Department of Health & Mental Hygiene, April 2013
 Groenwald S. Cancer Nursing: Principles and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Jones and Bartlett Publishing; 2000.
 Kanaan ZM, Eichenberger MR, Ahmad S, et al. Clinical predictors of inflammatory bowel disease in a genetically well-defined Caucasian population. Journal of negative results in biomedicine. 2012;11:7.
 National Cancer Institute. Cancer Trends Progress Report – Costs of Cancer Care 2020.  http://www.cancer.gov/newscenter/newsfromnci/2011/CostCancer2020. Accessed October 14, 2013.  Odedina FT, Akinremi TO, Chinegwundoh F, et al. Prostate cancer disparities in Black men of African descent: a comparative literature review of prostate cancer burden among Black men in the United States, Caribbean, United Kingdom, and West Africa. Infectious agents and cancer. 2009;4 Suppl 1:S2.
 Ogunsanya ME, Brown CM, Odedina FT, Barner JC, Corbell B, Adedipe TB. Beliefs Regarding Prostate Cancer Screening Among Black Males Aged 18 to 40 Years. American journal of men's health. 2016.  Ogunsanya ME, Brown CM, Odedina FT, Barner JC, Adedipe TB, Corbell B. Knowledge of Prostate Cancer and Screening Among Young Multiethnic Black Men. American Journal of Men's Health.0(0):1557988316689497.
 The Black Population: 2010. 2011; http://www.census.gov/population/race/. Accessed October 24, 2013.  Wilt TJ, MacDonald R, Rutks I, Shamliyan TA, Taylor BC, Kane RL. Systematic Review: Comparative Effectiveness and Harms of Treatments for Clinically Localized Prostate Cancer. Annals of internal medicine. 2008;148(6):435-448.

A Cancer Education with Passion: How we do it…

 The Preventive Cancer Care Project is a grassroots program passionately carried out through cancer education at Primary Healthcare Centers and in communities. We also organize cancer education for artisans, students (Primary, secondary and higher institutions), the military, and at religious places. 

In addition, customized seminars/workshops are organized for families and corporate bodies while we also educate the people via radio, printing of flyers & banners,  mouth to mouth  campaign, and the social media. 

OUR RESOURCE PERSONS

Our resource persons are cancer experts drawn from our partner institutions such as the Lagos State Ministry of Health, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), the Lagos State Primary Health-care Board, etc.

OUR CENTRAL MESSAGE

Our message is centered around causes of cancer, symptoms, cancer treatment options, need for healthy lifestyle changes (including healthy dietary choices), regular cancer tests/screenings for prevention and for early detection, etc.

Starting From Lagos, Nigeria

The LJSCF’s Preventive Cancer-care Advocacy was launched in Lagos, and is gradually spreading to other parts of Nigeria.

Through our recent collaboration with Lagos State Ministry of Health and the Lagos State Primary Health Care Board, LJSCF now has access to carry out cancer education (including cancer screenings/tests) in about 300 Primary Health-care centers, and in all communities in Lagos state.

This means that we have a huge population of about 20 million people to educate, both in the urban and the rural parts of the state.

With the active support of our partners and donors, we hope  to launch our Health & Safe Water Project soon, as part of our Preventive Cancer Care Project, in Lagos State and other parts of Nigeria.