A health expert, MLS Onaoluwa Abimbola, has said that cancer should not be seen as a death sentence in Nigeria if the government and stakeholders in the health sector do things properly.

Cancer is a terminal disease in which abnormal cells divide uncontrollably and destroy body tissue. It is a significant health issue in Nigeria, with a high incidence and mortality rate compared to other countries.

For example, Nigeria’s breast cancer mortality rate is 51%, while the US is 19%. According to Wikipedia, in 2020, the estimated new cases and deaths from cancer in Nigeria were 124,815 cases and 78,899 deaths.

These numbers are projected to increase by 85% in the next 15 years. The most common types of cancer in Nigeria are breast, prostate, cervical, colorectal, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

That leads us to the question: Can cancer be seen as a death sentence in Nigeria? According to MLS Abimbola, in an exclusive interview with The Guardian, in ideal circumstances, cancer should not be seen as a death sentence in Nigeria.

She, however, said that sadly, a cancer diagnosis is currently a death sentence in the country due to the cost of diagnosis and treatment, availability of facilities for diagnosis and treatment, as well as service delivery issues.

“Nigeria has a high burden of cancer cases, about 11% in Africa, and due to low health insurance coverage rates, many Nigerians pay for healthcare out of pocket,” Abimbola explained.

“For cancer, this means a very expensive venture which many Nigerians are currently unable to afford. While over 76% of cancer patients pay out of their pockets for healthcare, including cancer care, the figure in other African countries like Ghana, Gabon, Kenya, Zambia, and South Africa’s out-of-pocket share was 36.2%, 23.1%, 23.6%, 24.3%, and 5.7% of their Current Health Expenditure (CHE) (Ndoh et al, 2022).”

She also lamented that while the federal government has introduced a number of cancer care initiatives, the impact on regular Nigerians is still suboptimally low.

“Also, government budgetary spending on health since the Abuja declaration has been way too low and has never reached the 15% agreement,” MLS Abimbola said.

“On April 27, 2001, African Union (AU) governments adopted the Abuja Declaration, in which they set a target of allocating at least 15 percent of their national budget.

“Unfortunately, Nigeria has not kept to this agreement since then. What this means is that for the majority of those who get a cancer diagnosis in Nigeria, they are not covered by a health insurance plan that can pay for their cancer care.

“And they have no hope except asking people for donations. Moreover, it is one thing to have a health insurance package, it is another thing to have one that covers all conditions.”

Meanwhile, the health expert lamented that cancer diagnosis and treatment is quite expensive, having had a very close experience which she shared with The Guardian.

“My baby was diagnosed with a teratoma in 2022. Despite the fact that I was a healthcare worker, savings were wiped out that period,” she said.

“MRI cost about ₦80,000 in 2022 and we had to travel to Lagos to get it done. It was not available in the Federal Medical College (FMC) we had been referred to here.

“Other tests, laboratory and radiology tests, and the eventual surgery also cost more than a full month’s salary for an average Nigerian.”

She revealed that her former landlord’s wife also got breast cancer, and the man had to sell his second car to take care of the surgery, chemotherapy, etc.

Abimbola said one can only imagine if her former landlord did not have anything to sell and was a regular Nigerian, adding that perhaps his wife would have died.

She pointed out that these are some of the reasons why cancer is still a death sentence in Nigeria, while she also spoke about the symptoms of cancer.

MLS Abimbola explained that cancer, in layman’s language, is a disease that affects the body cells by destroying the normal behaviour of the cells and tissues.

This, she added, leads to a very high rate of growth of affected cells which can eventually show up as a tumour or swelling in the organ affected or increased numbers of the cells, for example, blood cell types cancer like leukaemia.

The medical laboratory scientist explained that different types of cancers exist and they all have their own peculiar symptoms.

According to her, though, symptoms of cancer may be nonspecific, which simply means that having any of these symptoms does not always mean it is cancer.

“For example, symptoms like prolonged coughing, unexplained weight loss, lumps in the breast, pain, fatigue, bleeding nonstop, digestive problems, etc., are common cancer symptoms and need to be checked for appropriate tests to rule out cancer,” she said.

“While other conditions may also have these symptoms, it is better to be safe by checking. For an accurate cancer diagnosis, it is important to get the appropriate tests done in a recognized facility.”

Thankfully, Abimbola said there are now screening tests that can also be deployed in community outreaches in order to ensure early detection of cancer.

“At Volunteer Medical Laboratory Scientists outreach programs, we have started with PSA screening tests for older men in the community and as we grow, we will include other screening tests for community outreaches,” she stated.

Meanwhile, there are over 100 different types of cancer, each with its unique characteristics and treatment options.

Some of the most common types of cancer include Carcinomas, which arise from epithelial cells, the cells that line the surfaces of organs and glands. Examples of carcinomas include breast cancer, lung cancer, and colon cancer.

Sarcomas are cancers that arise from connective tissue cells, such as bone, cartilage, and fat cells. Examples of sarcomas include osteosarcoma (bone cancer) and soft tissue sarcoma.

Leukemias are cancers that arise from blood cells. Examples of leukemias include acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL).

Lymphomas are cancers that arise from immune cells called lymphocytes. Examples of lymphomas include Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

On the causes and risk factors, cancer is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Some of the known risk factors for cancer include tobacco use, which is the leading cause of preventable cancer deaths worldwide.

Obesity is a risk factor for several types of cancer, including breast, colon, and kidney cancer.

Radiation exposure: Exposure to ionising radiation, such as ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun or tanning beds, can increase the risk of skin cancer.

Genetics: Some cancers are caused by inherited genetic mutations. For example, mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes can increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancer.