Former President Jakaya Kikwete has urged men to make prostate cancer screening part of their routine health checks, warning that delays in detection could cost lives.
Mr Kikwete made the call yesterday after visiting Kairuki Hospital in Mikocheni, Dar es Salaam, where he commended the facility for introducing High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU), a technology that treats some tumours without conventional surgery.
The technology has made Tanzania the fourth country in Africa to have the treatment option, according to the hospital.
Mr Kikwete said the growing burden of cancer among men required greater emphasis on prevention and early detection, particularly prostate cancer.
“Men should get tested early so that they know their health status before the disease reaches the stage of cancer,” he said.
He said early screening could help doctors identify prostate abnormalities before the disease advances, giving patients a better opportunity to receive timely treatment.
Mr Kikwete also shared his experience in promoting cancer prevention during his presidency, citing the introduction of vaccination against cervical cancer.
He recalled that the decision to introduce the vaccine initially generated public debate, but said the government proceeded because of its potential to prevent disease.
“When I was President, people from the United States came and we discussed cancer. They told us cervical cancer had a vaccine and could be prevented,” he said.
“We agreed to start vaccinating girls who had not reached puberty. It generated a lot of debate, but because our intention was good, we introduced the vaccine and it has now reduced the problem.”
He said the same preventive approach should be applied to cancers affecting men, particularly through regular screening.
The call comes as Kairuki Hospital reports growing use of HIFU, which uses focused ultrasound energy to destroy targeted abnormal tissue.
HIFU specialist Fredy Felician said 444 patients had been treated for different types of tumours since the equipment was installed at the hospital.
Of these, 95 men had received treatment for prostate cancer tumours, he said.
The technology provides a less-invasive treatment option for selected patients, potentially reducing the need for conventional surgery depending on the type and stage of the tumour.
Kairuki Hospital director Dr Asser Mchomvu said prostate cancer accounts for between 31.4 percent and 40 percent of all cancer cases among men recorded at health facilities in Tanzania.
He said the disease was also the third-leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men in the country, after throat and liver cancers.
The figures highlight the importance of early detection, particularly because prostate cancer may not cause noticeable symptoms in its early stages.
For men, screening can help doctors identify abnormalities and determine whether further investigations or treatment are necessary.
The introduction of HIFU comes as Tanzania seeks to expand access to modern cancer treatment while encouraging people to seek medical care earlier.
For Mr Kikwete, however, the priority remains prevention and early detection.“Men who undergo screening early can save lives,” he said.