Cancer challenge

THERE’S no type of cancer more deadly or prevalent among men in this country than prostate cancer. Yet, awareness is not as high as it should be. That might change after this month’s brave disclosures by football icon Shaka Hislop, 56, and fashion stalwart Christopher Nathan, 63.

Both come from different walks of life and age groups, yet they are tied by the fact that they have both had to battle the disease. Mr Hislop on December 3 revealed early detection helped save him; but on December 2 Mr Nathan told this newspaper he was facing a choice between seeking palliative care or treating his condition with a mixture of radiation and chemotherapy.

The urgent need for more awareness is brought home by the diverging experiences relayed by the two men on social media.

Mr Hislop was accustomed to having annual check-ups. Genetic markers further gave no indication of a family disposition to the disease. Even so, that did not save him from having to contend with it. After an MRI and a biopsy, by the middle of 2025, the cancer had spread to his pelvic bone. But recently, he completed a course of radiation.

This contrasts with Mr Nathan’s experience. He had been having back pain since July. Doctors at Mt Hope and the Scarborough General Hospital diagnosed osteoarthritis. Relocating to St Vincent and the Grenadines, he thought this manageable. Until last month, when pains and spasms returned him to the hospital. It was then that doctors at Milton Cato Memorial diagnosed stage four metastatic spinal cancer; and he had been afflicted with prostate cancer for some time.

Taboos, prejudices and cultural attitudes stand in the way of our ability to deal with what is, by any standards, a serious public health issue.

Men either do not access healthcare or only do so after signs and symptoms. Many prefer to suffer in silence. They are taught to avoid weakness. At play as well are gender norms and a “macho” culture that leaves no room for vulnerability. Unpalatable, too, is the perception of the public health system across the board, leading to little faith in physicians.

Meanwhile, the Caribbean has some of the highest mortality rates in the world.

The Ministry of Health says between 2016 and 2020, prostate cancer was the highest cause of cancer death, at 18.2 per cent. Cases were recorded in males 55 and over, with 20 per cent of the advanced cases occurring in men between 70 and 74.

But globally, cancer rates are rising among young people under 50, according to the American Cancer Society.

All the more reason why it’s important to shine a spotlight on detection, as Mr Hislop and Mr Nathan have laudably done.