Introduction: The burden of prostate cancer in Nigeria is the highest in Africa, with a handful of studies reporting the prevalence of the disease mostly from urban areas. There is a paucity of data on the disease prevalence in men in rural underserved areas of Nigeria, which make up over 45 % of the >200 million population. This study, therefore, investigated the Prostate-Specific Antigen levels among Men living in a rural community in Kogi state, Nigeria.
Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional community-based study, a non-probability convenience sampling technique was used to select the participants. As part of the cancer awareness campaign of the Dove-Haven Foundation, blood samples from 33 men were screened for Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) in the rural areas of Yagba East Local Government Area of Kogi state, Nigeria.
Results: The mean age of participants was 52.5 years. The range of PSA values obtained was 0.1 – 77 with mean value of 4.06. Of the participants tested, 8.8 % had PSA levels of >4 ng/mol, while 2.9 % had PSA levels of >76 ng/mol. These participants have been recommended for direct rectal exams to rule out early prostate cancer.
Conclusion: Our result showed that there were high levels of Prostate-Specific Antigen among the Men living in this rural community. This underscores the importance of prostate screening exercises in rural underserved communities to enhance early detection and reduce prostate cancer burden.
