Cancer: Why you should go for early screening, healthy lifestyle

The major reason people continue to die of cancer in Nigeria is because the disease is detected late in many patients as they don’t go for screening early, medical experts have said. They said the earlier the disease is detected, the easier it is to treat, and also the chances of survival.

Living a healthy lifestyle is another way of preventing the disease, the experts said.

With the increasing cases of cancer in the country, it is important for people to go for regular check-ups and cancer screening.

The National Cancer Institute said screening involves checking for cancer or conditions that may become cancer in people who have no symptoms. “Screening can help doctors find and treat several types of cancers early. Early detection is important because when abnormal tissue or cancer is found early, it may be easier to treat. By the time the symptoms appear, cancer may have begun to spread and is harder to treat,” the institute said.

According to Dr Ajibola Hafees, a Consultant Urologist, University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, cancer can be cured if it is picked early. “The major problem amongst our people is late diagnosis and denial. Women should get screened for breast cancer and cervical cancer for instance, while men should get screened for prostate cancer,” he said.

Dr Hafees said cancer is a disease and people should stop attaching cultural or religious meanings to it. “Cancer means abnormal growth of a cell that has gone beyond the control of the body system. Cells usually grow in a normal manner and at a point die off naturally, but cancer cells on the other hand grow abnormally and continue to grow out of hand or the proportion of the local tissue. And when this occurs, the cells affect the surrounding tissues and also spread and affect other parts of the body.

“Cancer cells grow at the expense of the body’s need for nutrition, and others.”

The urologist said while kidney and bladder cancers were common urological cancers in the country, prostate cancer remains the leading cause of death in men in Nigeria.

He said prostate cancer was more difficult to pick because it doesn’t give symptoms and by the time it gives it is already advance, adding, “so the basic way to nip it in the bud is screening.

“Recent studies have recommended that men should start screening at the age of 40. Instead 45 or 50) as previously recommended for those without family history of the disease. He advised those with family history of the disease to start screening ten years earlier than the recommended age.

“For example, if you have a first degree relative that had that cancer around 45 years, it means the person should start screening at 35 years,” said Dr Ajibola.

Wife of Kebbi State governor, and founder of Medicaid Cancer Foundation, Dr Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu, said 95% of women that were diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States of America (USA) get cured but in Nigeria the reverse was the case not only as a result of inadequate facilities but because they were not detected early.

“Most cancer cases in the country are detected in late stages; that is stage three and four, but with the awareness that we are creating now, we are able to pick some in stage one and stage two,” she said.

While saying that breast cancer was the highest occurring in women and prostate in men, in the country, she said colon cancer was gradually increasing amongst Nigerians as people adopt an increasing westernized lifestyle.

She said there were some cancers that people can screen for themselves like breast cancer. “We ask women to check their breasts every month, it is a very effective way of knowing what is normal in the body, so that they can seek help any day they notice abnormality such as some pain, or lumps in their breast,” she said.

Dr Albert Kelong Alkali, a pharmacist said the abuse of drugs also predispose people to cancer. He said other predisposing factors include: smoking and drinking heavily, engaging in unsafe sexual practices, not protecting oneself from infection such as Hepatitis B and poor attitude to health screening.

Alkali, who is also the national chairman of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN), said health screening was important because early detection makes it easy to treat the disease.

Some screening tests for cancer include: Pap Smear Test and human paillomavirus testing - this test reduces the incidence of cervical cancer because it allows abnormal cancers to be identified and treated before they become cancer. It is recommended every three years for women 21 to 65 years.

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test for men detects prostate cancer at an early stage, while mammography test detects breast cancer. Low dosehelical computed tomography, tests for lung cancer. It is recommended for heavy smokers and those at risk of the disease.

Minister of Health, Prof Isaac Adewole during the commemoration of this year’s World Cancer Day at the weekend, enjoined Nigerians to always engage in physical exercises to reduce the risk of having cancer.

Adewole said people could make healthy lifestyle choices by engaging in weekly physical activities for at least two and half hours for adults and an hour for children. He said other lifestyle modifications include: avoiding tobacco smoking and chewing, eating a healthy diet, limiting alcohol intake and staying safe under the sun.