Early detection, treatment, key to surviving breast cancer — COPE

With about 13,000 women dying of breast cancer annually in Nigeria, medical experts, cancer survivors and other stakeholders in cancer care have said that early detection and prompt treatment is key to surviving breast cancer.

Speaking during a 10 kilometre walk to mark this year’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the 20th anniversary of the Care. Organisation. Public. Enlightenment, COPE, in Lagos, they lamented late presentation of breast cancer patients at the hospital.

Addressing hundreds of participants during the walk which kicked off around 7:00am Saturday from the Archbishop Vining Memorial Church, GRA , Ikeja to Maryland and back, Chief Executive Officer, COPE, Mrs Ebunola Anozie identified late presentation, lack of special fund and comprehensive cancer centre as major factors contributing to low survival rates in the country.

Late presentation: Anozie said the choice of a walk to celebrate COPE’s 20th anniversary was informed by the fact that despite improved awareness on early detection, many Nigerian women are still presenting late.

“Our aim is solely to raise awareness about breast cancer as part of efforts to reduce the mortality of breast cancer in Nigeria. Early detection can cure breast cancer and reduce the mortality rate from the disease.

On treatment challenges face by cancer patients in Nigeria, Anozie appealed to the Federal government to build a comprehensive cancer centre to aid treatment of patients. According to her, a comprehensive cancer centre would reduce brain drain as well as stop the mad rush to other countries for treatment.

On his part, Representative of Chapel of Healing Cross, Idi Araba, Wale Ogundetoun raised alarm over increasing incidences of cancer in the country.

He called for a special fund for Nigerians who cannot afford the needed resources for their medical treatment. “The government should improve our healthcare facilities. We have many people who cannot afford the treatment and they are in the hospitals without hope. With improved healthcare facilities and provision of special funds for those who cannot afford it, more people will survive and the burden will be reducedon families.”

Speaking, a 17 years cancer survivor who is also the Vice President of COPE, Mrs. Kehinde Gbelee noted that there have been a lot of improvement in awareness, and treatment better than when she was diagnosed of cancer, adding that there is now chances of surviving cancer in Nigeria.

“To survive cancer, you must keep to your medicine and take your chemotherapy and radiotherapy as well as do all that the doctors advised because at the end of every dark tunnel there is always a bright light.”

Expensive treatment: Another survivor, Mrs. Funmi Olufumi layo Dada called on the Federal Government to address treatment problems in the country. According to her, the continued break down of radiotherapy machines across the country has further stretched the burden on the patients.

“Due to continuous breakdown of radio therapy machines, Patients travel from Lagos to Benin, Abuja and Kaduna just to get radio therapy or some special medical investigations.

“Treatment is very expensive, some of the treatment like chemotherapy cost as high as N10 million. They should liaise with pharmaceutical companies to bring down the prices of these drugs so that it can be affordable and people can live longer.”

Speaking, representative of Skye Bank, Head Corporate Communication Function, Mr. Rasheed Bolarinwa, who said they have supported COPE in the last 10 years said the bank decided to adopt breast cancer as their baby due to the devastating effects on cancer on families psychologically, and financially.

Bolarinwa who noted that breast cancer has the highest mortality rates globally, hence the need to support organisations like COPE to do more in order to save lives.