By Jacinta Nwachukwu
The World Cancer Day is celebrated on every February 4 to enlighten the world on the consequences of cancer, precautions, caregiving and treatments.[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”10″]
The day features activities intended to prevent complications and deaths arising from cancer through awareness and education about the disease.
The campaign involves pragmatic approaches to fighting the disease and pleading with the authorities and individuals across the world to join in the fight.
But concerned citizens have, on many occasions, sought to know factors that can predispose people to cancer and the necessary precautions.
Medical experts have also observed that in most cancer cases, cancer of the cervix grows faster and spreads to other parts of the body, especially the reproductive organs.
In apparent answer to this, Dr Kayode Obende, an obstetrician at the Garki Hospital, Abuja, explained that exposure to certain chemicals and radiation could damage the cells which could result in cancer.
According to him, the systems of human are built in such a way that as the cells are ageing, they are destroyed and replaced naturally.
“But when you have a situation where by the old cells refuse to die, or where damaged cells are not taking away and it continues to multiply, it may become a problem.
“That is why it is advised that people, especially women, should go for medical examination for early detection of abnormal cells and how they could be management,’’ he said.
Obende explained that the common causes of cancer depended on the types of cancer, observing infections are, in most cases, the cause of cervical cancer.
He said the types of early warning signs of cancer also depended on the parts of the body where somebody was suspecting abnormal health development.
“For instance, if there is a change in the bladder, it could be cancer of the intestine and if you have unusual bleeding and discharge in your virginal, it is a sign that you need to do tests.
“Other abnormal health developments that can be suspected to be possible onset of cancer are feeling lumps in the breasts, difficulty in swallowing things and chronic cough, among others.
“So, depending on which part of the body is involved, you have different presentations,’’ he stressed.
Obende, nonetheless, observed that developing nations, especially in Africa, might not detect cases of cancer early enough, especially breast cancer.
He, therefore, recommended annual mammogram — test to check whether or not women have breast cancer by using X-ray machine — for women that are above 40 years.
“This will help to detect any abnormal mass which could be difficult to pick in simple palpation and it is important for women who are sexually active to go for pap smear at least once in three years.
“Initially it may be annually, then you do it for the first three years and if it is normal, it can be spaced to once in three years but such women should stop when they are 65 years old if the results are normal,’’ the doctor said.
Obende, however, said that cervical cancer could be prevented by reducing the number of sexual partners.
In his view, Dr Lawal Ishak, a gynaecologist in Abuja, warned that every sexually-active woman could be at the risk of contracting Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), one of the infections that cause cervical cancer.
According to him, cervical cancer is transmitted through sexual intercourse and can stay for 10 years before manifesting.
He observed that 60 per cent of women with advanced cervical cancer could die within five years during infection.
“Cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the body that deprives blood supply to other normal body cells.
“It can affect any part of the body, sometimes there may be no symptoms and that is the best time to detect and treat it.
“Early phase of cervical cancer can be picked and treated through regular screening; mothers should also vaccinate their female children while they go for regular screenings,’’ he advised.
Sharing similar sentiments, Dr Olaleye Femi, an oncologist with Optimal Cancer Care Foundation, Abuja, called for more awareness on cancer prevention and treatments during the World Cancer Day.
He said many people were not aware of cancer while some were scared of being cancer positive after screening.
He also observed that some women were not able to go for cancer screening in the hospitals due to financial constraint.
In his observation, Dr Fred Achem, gynaecologist, said cervical cancer was the leading cause of maternal mortality in the country.
He said that screening female teenagers and giving them HPV vaccine before being sexually active could prevent cervical cancer later in life.
Achem said that screening and blood tests would also build their immunity against all forms of cancer.
But Dr Akeem Lawal, a physician at the National Hospital, Abuja, insisted that diagnosis, treatments and tests involved a lot of money.
He, therefore, appealed to the Federal Government to create a special fund for diagnosis, treatment and management of cancer.
He said the appeal had become necessary because cancer cases were on the increase in Nigeria, noting that opportunities for diagnosis and subsequent management of the disease in Nigeria had improved over the years.
“The issue with the treatment of cancer is that the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) does not cover the treatment of cancer and other deadly non-communicable diseases,’’ Lawal said.
He pleaded with the government to further subsidise the treatment of cancer, observing that the drugs and facilities required for the management of chronic cases of cancer were expensive.
He, nonetheless, advised Nigerians to make use of opportunity provided by the Federal Government for free cancer screening, insisting that cancer patients could survive if the disease was detected early.
Medical experts note that although there are list of side effects from cancer treatments, including surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, there are solutions to reduce or expel the side effects.
They note that keeping a positive but realistic attitude about minimising side effects can help patients.
All in all, concerned citizens believe that creating awareness among parents and their children during the World Cancer
Day on the existence of cancer and the need for early screening, is the key to surviving all forms of cancer.(NANFeatures)