Above 40? Screen regularly for cancer

Above 40? Screen regularly for cancer

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Did you know that at least 26 women die of cervical cancer each day in Nigeria? Indeed, not many people are aware of the fact that breast cancer kills at least 50 women each day in the country.

Recent statistics, corroborated by a professor of radiotherapy and oncology with the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Akoka, Remi Ajekigbe, reveals that Nigeria records 100,000 new cases of cancer every year. At the moment, Nigeria reportedly has about two million recorded cases of cancer.

Cancer incidents are not peculiar to Nigeria, though. Globally, experts say, there are about 8.2 million cancer-related deaths each year. Quite scary, you may say.

According to the professor, the incidence of cancer is increasing at an alarming rate in developing countries such as Nigeria due to many factors which range from poor state of health facilities, to that of poor funding of cancer care, to mention a few.

While we may have no control over the aforementioned circumstances, anyone can ensure that cancer is not detected late should one develop it.

Late diagnosis

Experts say that 70 per cent of cases of cancer and other terminal diseases plaguing mankind do not show symptoms. Ajekigbe says by the time the symptoms of cancer begin to manifest, it is too late.

He regrets that most cancer patients come at a stage when there is little or no hope for cure.

The oncologist attributes late diagnosis and cancer deaths to the ignorance and poor attitude of most Nigerians towards their health.

“These factors usually lead to late detection of cancer-related diseases. This, in turn, is responsible for the low survival rate,” Ajekigbe says.

For instance, the oncologist says, breast cancer, which can be cured when detected early, still kills over 10,000 women in Nigeria every year because many of them present with the cancer at an advanced stage when treatment can no longer help.

But then, while many have died of cancer, many have survived it. The key to survival, physicians maintain, is early detection.

How can cancer be detected early? Ajekigbe says every woman or man above the age of 40 should go for medical screening at least once every year.

He states, “More than 40 per cent of cancers occur in women above age 40. Breast and cervical cancers are the commonest forms of cancers and they occur in women. That is why every woman should examine her breasts regularly. Cancer can happen to anyone, but it does not have to be a death sentence if it is detected early.”

Medical screening and check-up is very important as you grow older. For men, after 40, get screened for prostate cancer. A woman should go for cervical cancer and breast cancer screening every year or as recommended by her personal physician, the oncologist counsels.

He adds, “Cancer kills; and when it doesn’t result in death immediately, it is expensive to treat. Detecting it early is cheap and it saves lives.”

Still on breast cancer, the professor stresses that women should be familiar with their breasts so they can spot changes in them.

Ajekigbe says, “You must know your breasts. Check them regularly for unusual changes. It is one of the simplest and cheapest ways to know if there is a problem. If you notice any lump, discharge, or feel pain in your breasts after personal breast examination, go for screening.

“Most of the women we have diagnosed with cancer came because they felt something in their breasts.”

Diet and breast cancer

Experts have continuously linked increased consumption of fatty and processed foods to the increasing cases of cancer. Scientists warn that processed foods come at a hidden cost to our health.

One of them is cancer. Professor of Radiology at the University Teaching Hospital, Enugu State, Ifeoma Okoye, says although the threats of processed foods are numerous, a major one is its ties to cancer formation.

Lovers of instant noodles or spaghetti, chips, candies and processed meats may have to curb their appetite, as these processed foods may predispose them to diseases such as cancer.

Okoye defines processed foods as “foods or meals that have been altered from their natural state and preserved by freezing, canning, salting or frying, using salt, sugar, spices, hormones, condiments or additives and other forms of preservatives.”

She notes that most processed foods contain carcinogenic compounds, which are usually the root causes of cancer.

For example, synthetic vitamins, which can be carcinogenic when they lose their potency, are added to processed foods such as bread and pastries to elongate their shelf life.

She says, “We all know that foods are most nutritious in their natural state. So, the less cooked they are, the more beneficial they are. But when they are processed, all the nutrients would almost be gone. Not only that, such foods contain chemicals known as additives, for colour, consistency, taste, shelf life and more.

“They are toxins – chemicals that are carcinogenic. They steal nutrients from the body system, weakening it, and making the body more and more vulnerable to free radicals, following which cancerous cells begin to develop.”

Of all the processed foods, Okoye says, people should avoid processed or frozen meats. According to her, to increase their commercial value, many of these livestock are given hormonal feeds.

“Most processed foods have been genetically altered with hormones; hence, they are less nutritious and unsafe. For example, the poultry and livestock used for processed meats are fed with hormones, and that’s why they grow faster. When you consume them, the hormones go into your body to alter the normal functioning of your cells.”

The World Cancer Research Fund has also linked eating processed meats to cancer. The global body, after reviewing more than 7,000 clinical trials, found that processed meats – including bacon, sausage, hot dogs and just about all red meat used in frozen meals – are made with sodium nitrite, a substance that allows pre-cancerous cells to develop in the body.

Okoye says a change in diet which favours healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables and natural foods can reduce one’s risks for cancer by 30 per cent.

PUNCH.

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