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Rallying Nigerians against cancer

By Oluwatoyin Iletogbe
13 February 2022   |   2:45 am
Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the world. It affects men, women and children. The World Health Organization reports that in 2021 an estimated 10 million people w

cancer

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the world. It affects men, women and children. The World Health Organization reports that in 2021 an estimated 10 million people were killed by cancer while about the same number survived the scourge.

Every year, Africa records 1.1million new cases of cancer, resulting in 700,000 deaths. Breast cancer, along with cervical, prostate, liver and colorectal cancers account for almost half the new cases on the continent annually.

Indeed, no fewer than 72,000 Nigerians die of cancer while about 102,000 new cases are diagnosed annually. This is not inclusive of those individuals who never made it to the hospital for diagnosis or those who end up in hospitals with poor access to data collection and management. In spite of these dreadful statistics, many Nigerians are still ignorant of the need for early and preventive health screenings or making healthier lifestyle choices.

But all hope is not lost. First Lady, Hajia Aisha Buhari is leading the renewed efforts in re-awakening awareness and mobilising support for the fight against all forms of cancer. On the occasion of this year’s Word Cancer Day, she tasked stakeholders with increasing effort in creating awareness, especially among the young population.

Mrs. Buhari, in her message delivered by the wife of the Vice President, Mrs. Dolapo Osibanjo at the inauguration of the ‘Arm Our Youths,’ an organisation championing the anti-cancer campaign in Abuja, said: “I wish to declare my support for the fight against all forms of cancer and also use this medium to call on cancer stakeholders to exact more effort in awareness creation amongst our citizens.” She emphasised the need to come up with fresh ideas, taking the campaign to secondary schools.

“It is important to ensure that we do everything possible to reduce the rate of mortality associated with cervical cancer. My Future Assured Initiative has been doing a lot in the campaign. I intend to do more and partner with more organisations such as Nigeria Cancer Society and OCI Foundation until we overcome the negative health outcomes associated with cancer,” she said.

In commemorating World Cancer Day, Nisa Premier Hospital, Abuja, held a medical outreach aimed at creating awareness among Nigerians on the dangers of breast, prostate, ovarian and cervical cancer. A 30-minute walk from the hospital to Jabi Lake was followed by free medical services including blood pressure and blood sugar monitoring. Participants, women, sports enthusiasts and students from Junior Secondary School, Jabi were rewarded with discounted prices for mammograms, pap smears and prostate cancer screening.

Dr. Ighodalo Omofuma, surgeon and endoscopist, educated participants on the need for regular screening to detect and arrest various cancers including the options available for treatment. He highlighted breast cancer as the most common type of cancer afflicting women, though men can also have breast cancer in rare cases. He described the various symptoms associated with breast cancer.

Dr. Omofuma said frequent breast self-checks at home done on the first day of a woman’s monthly cycle is key to early detection. Women should do a breast self-exam every month to look and feel for changes within the breast. “Regular breast examination will maintain breast health and detect cancer early when it is easier to treat and more likely to be controlled. Most lumps and abnormalities aren’t cancer, but you should still report changes to your doctor,” he advised. The presence of a lump in the breast that is not painful can still turn into cancer. By the time the tumour has grown a bit more in size, it can cause symptoms that can be seen on a woman’s body. The skin might develop a sore, it can cause dimpling on the breast and swelling in the armpit close to the same breast that has a lump.

He added that if cancer has spread to other organs of the body, the patient may experience cough, difficulty in breathing, pain in the bone either in the arm or the hip and the eyes might turn yellow if it has gotten to the liver. Weight reduction and loss of appetite are other likely symptoms. “Some of the factors that cause breast cancer are family history, obesity, ovarian cancer, smoking, alcohol intake and age,” said Dr. Omofuma, who explained that the most common cancer for men is prostate cancer.

It affects black men more than their white counterparts and it affects them at a younger age than white men. He said the prostate gland is hidden in the pelvis under the bladder, unlike the breast that can be easily checked. Factors that predispose one to prostate cancer include family history, race, age, obesity, diet and lack of regular exercise. The symptoms are exertion in passing urine, blood in urine, swelling in the leg, persistent low back pain, compression in the spinal cord, coughing, difficulty in breathing. Early screening and prevention are very crucial for successful cancer treatment, and a greater percentage of cancer deaths can be prevented, the surgeon explained.

The cancer scourge is not invincible after all. Consultant Family Physician and Clinical Director, Nisa Premier Hospital, Dr. Ashau Timi-Oladipo gave some hope in the fight against cervical cancer, where Human Papiloma Virus vaccine is available for girls and boys before the age of nine years.

She suggested that they be vaccinated, at least before they are sexually active because the vaccine works if given to girls and women before they are exposed. “Women don’t just get cervical cancer, they would have been exposed to the Human Papilloma Virus during sexual intercourse. The virus is then shared between males and females and becomes cancerous in female. Scientifically speaking, people are seeing reasons why boys should also be vaccinated, although the advocacy is high for girls,” she said.

The event attracted representatives from Soroptimist International Nigeria, National Council for Women Societies, students and teachers, among others. The World Cancer Day is an international event marked on February 4 every year to raise awareness of cancer and to encourage its prevention, detection and treatment

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