Campaigning For The Early Detection Of Cancer

THIS year is the seventh International Cancer Week in Nigeria. It is a platform for people who are in the area of cancer control to further spread the message on how to detect cancer early.

According to Professor Ifeoma Okoye, founder of a non- governmental organization (NGO) called Breast Without Spot (BWS), these people include medical people, health care providers and non-governmental organisations working in the area of cancer control.

“We have survivors, relations of survivors, just about anybody who has a passion to see how to fight cancer and control it. And reduce the devastation on our population. Over the past couple of years, a lot of people who are working in the area of cancer control have raised awareness in many ways on cancer, organising pink dinner and congresses. But what we have noticed is that it appears that it is all done for focus groups. The nation has never really received a big bang impact on one particular effort.

“Whoever says no to late detection of cancer is a titan. We have decided that we are going to call on all Nigerians to be titans against cancer and to come out and be in pink on the October 5. This event is not meant to be an event in itself. It actually ought to be a mass movement. There is no need for you to leave your work place,” Okoye said.

She urged as many centres as possible across the nation which have the ability to offer any form of screening, or give discounted screening prices or even offer free screening, to do so to mark the event.

“We know that we have 80,000 people that die of cancer in Nigeria annually, and 10 people die every day of the disease. About eight people died of Ebola and the whole country was in panic.”

Okoye said cancer is one of the non-communicable diseases that share risk factors with other non- communicable diseases. “We want to see how we can get people to detect cancer early so that they don’t have to die from cancer, especially when it is the non- aggressive form. Detect cancer early, you can have cure for some of the cancer and extended life, quality life.”

Okoye revealed that there are people with breast cancer that are alive even 40 or 50 years after. “In Nigeria, why cancer appears to be synonymous with death is because people are coming late to present in the hospitals. We are asking people that are well to make it a habit to go for screening. We are using the opportunity of this awareness to tell them why they have to go for screening. At what age should they go for prostate cancer check? By the time we finish with this mass campaign, we hope that we would be able to fully optimally sensitize the entire country in this movement.

“People can mobilise as many of their families, colleagues in work place, friends and persons within their sphere of influence to put on pink ties, scarves and decorate their surroundings with pink décor, including pink balloons and ribbons.

“Whatever you have, whether it is an old clothing that is pink, just utilize it. We don’t want people to go spend any money. You are driving your car to work, you have a pink balloon tied to it or you decorate it your with pink ribbon. We want everybody going gaga with pink. Even you can use pink flowers.

“You can also visit our website www.international cancerweek.org. We would have information for you on where it is possible for you to get screened. We are also doing advocacy with those different places where you can get screened or vaccinated for HPV vaccine for young girls between the ages of nine and 14. We are trying to advocate for them to either give this services free or discounted.”
Finally, she urged people to join in the three-day programme they are organising for the International Cancer Week congress which is taking place at the Sheraton in Abuja from Oct. 6 to 8 from 9am to 5pm daily. “The opening ceremony is on the 7th in order to accommodate some of our VIPs that will be coming for the programme,” Okoye said.

She added that the International Cancer Week is being organised in collaboration with Federal Ministry of Health. “You can register for the programme on-line or get the details on our website. You don’t need to be a medical person to attend and benefit.”