Experts Recommend Routine Prostate Cancer Screening

Medical specialists in Kenya are increasingly pushing for routine prostate cancer screening, particularly for men aged 40 and above, in a bid to detect the disease early and improve survival rates. According to oncologists quoted by Kenya News, late-stage diagnosis remains a major challenge, with many men only seeking treatment when the cancer is advanced and less likely to be curable.
The National Cancer Screening Guidelines — recently updated by the Ministry of Health — recommend that men who are at higher risk (e.g., those with a family history of prostate cancer) should undergo Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) testing and digital rectal exams on a case‑by‑case basis. These guidelines emphasize the importance of shared decision-making, where men are informed of both the benefits and risks of screening.
At a recent health conference, Dr. Joseph Mburu, a senior urologist from Mombasa, said that many Kenyan men lack basic awareness about prostate cancer risk factors, such as age, genetics, and diet. He urged county health directors to incorporate prostate screening into their non-communicable disease (NCD) outreach programs.
Experts caution that screening alone isn’t enough and must be matched with treatment capacity: more training for urologists, better access to diagnostic tools like MRI, and affordable cancer care services will be essential to ensure that men who are screened positive can receive timely treatment.