Avia Ustanny, Gleaner Writer

Mcpherson

Two months ago Kingston-based attorney-at-law Alfred McPherson did radical surgery abroad to deal with prostate cancer. It was a harrowing experience leading up to surgery.

This is not just because it is a killer, but also because very little attention is paid to this dreadful disease. Even in the medical profession.

Hundreds of thousands of dollars are poured into educating women about breast and cervical cancer annually in Jamaica. But, where are the resources for educating Jamaican men about prostate cancer - the highest cause of cancer-related deaths among them? Mr. McPherson wants to know.

expert opinion

He is insisting that the local medi- cal fraternity and the Jamaica Cancer Society are downplaying prostate cancer in a way that might be detrimental to the lives of men who rely on their expert opinion. So he wants to be that voice of awarness about among men. He wants to promote early detection and prevention.

His conviction is the result of his own distressful experience. A downward spiral in medical treatment locally began last year when a urologist divulged that, in 2004, McPherson's PSA (the Prostate Specific Antigen which indicates the possible presence of cancer) level was 7.3. The range considered normal is 0 to 4.

"No one ever contacted me for further screening. I remained for two years in darkness," McPherson states.

The urologist also told him that his PSA for July 2006 was 10.2 again showing a significant rise. Even after diagnosis, the lawyer believes his treatment by local doctors was shoddy, as he received advice that was misleading.

Prostate cancer, he states, is clouded under myths such as the belief that one can outlive it, myths often perpetrated by doctor's themselves.

Pointing to the vigorous breast cancer campaign pursued annually by the medical fraternity, McPherson says that there is nothing of equal weight for men and prostate cancer.

"I don't think enough is being done. In my opinion, there is a very cavalier approach to prostate cancer. Internationally, we have the highest rates and deaths too," he insists.

Read more in today's Outlook magazine.