In spite of the frightening statistics he reeled out on the alarming incidence of cancer cases in the country, a professor of Morbid Anatomy and Histopathology of the University of Ilorin, Enoch Olakojo Afolayan has confirmed that a cancer victim may not necessarily be on the death throes if experts’ advice are strictly followed.
Cancer incidence, he said, is not only increasing but also new ones hitherto rare are now emerging due to improved diagnostic facilities and availability of relevant specialists for detection and accurate diagnosis.
But he submitted that up to 75% of cancer deaths can be prevented, “bearing in mind that risk factors played a significant role in the causation of cancer and since prevention and early detection is the key to tackling or controlling cancer”
Patients or victims of cancer he said, should swiftly seek medical attention by going for screening for early diagnosis and treatment intervention which include surgery, where indicated, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Afolayan’s report of his years of research on cancer epidemiology was presented at the 112th series of the institution’s inaugural lecture which took place at the University Auditorium on Thursday.
The inaugural lecture, which was a well-mixed of town and gown saw in attendance seven traditional rulers that included the Oloro of Oro, Oba Abdulrafiu Ajiboye Oyelaran, Onipe of Ipe, Oba Muftau Adebayo Lawal Titiloye III, Onikotun of Ikotun-Ile Oba Abdulrasaq Abioye, Olojoku of Ojoku, Oba AbdulRazaq Adegboyega Afolabi Iyiolaseni III, among others.
But more instructive was the presence of some specially invited guests, patients who the inaugural lecturer said “have been living with various types of cancer-thyroid, breast, colorectal etc. ranging from 3-21 years after their cancer diagnosis and treatment. He said their presence was a service to their women folks, as they were living witnesses that cancer is not a sledge hammer of death, if diagnosed early and treated without delay.
Among this lot was a major living testimony, a 70 year old cancer survivor, who was diagnosed in 2000 at the age of 50 years. Her story, according to the inaugural lecturer, holds “a lesson for others that with early diagnosis and prompt treatment”, a cancer victim could live.
The cancer specialist said he had selected his topic, titled Cancer, the Sledge Hammer of Death? No! Not a Death Sentence, If…not only because it was his research focus but because the gathering would afford opportunity to further promote and enhance public awareness on cancer and to sensitize all, that cancer is real. He said the presentation was also aimed at realigning the erroneous common perception that cancer is always a killer disease.
According to the expert, cancer incidence and mortality are rapidly increasing globally with estimated 19.3 million new cancer cases and 9.9 million cancer deaths in 2020. The alarming figures on cancer incidence and mortality worldwide, he said, covered only 36 different cancers in 185 countries of the world with a population of 7.8 billion people.
Even more disturbing, he revealed, is “the fact that more than 60% of the world' s total cancer cases occur in Africa, Asia, Central America etc, while greater than 70% of the world's cancer deaths come from these same regions and worse still, survival rates are meager in the low and middle income countries”
The increasing trends, he said, were attributed to aging and rapid growth of the population worldwide, industrialization with consequent increased population being exposed to causative risk factors.
The risk factors for cancer, he stated, include cigarette smoking, second hand smoke, excess body fat, drinking alcohol, eating red and processed meat, diet low in fruits and dietary fibers and calcium, physical inactivity and Ultra Violet (UV) radiations.
He said study conducted by America Cancer Society researcher found that, 42% of cancer cases were linked to modified risk factors, which could be prevented.
Cigarette smoking, he said topped the list, “accounting for 19% of all cancer cases and 29% of cancer deaths. Excess body weight was responsible for 7.8% of cancer cases and 6.5 % of deaths. Drinking alcohol was linked to 5.6% of cancer cases and 4% of deaths. UV radiation was attributable to almost 5% of cases, but lower 1.5% of deaths. Physical inactivity played into 2.9% of cases and 2.2% deaths”
Cancer, he said, has become a growing global epidemic with a disproportional share of its deaths in low-and middle-income countries including Nigeria, but “unfortunately, our country is least prepared to deal with the rising numbers”
He revealed that Nigeria has been plagued by severe dearth of Population-Based Cancer Registry (PBCR)- a serious challenge to availability of accurate and reliable data on cancer.
“In the recent publication of Cancer in Nigeria, two PBCRs (Abuja and Benin) covering a population of 2,648 239, registered a total of 7972 cancer cases for a period of eight (8) years, 2009-2016 with 4.918 (61.7%) females and 3,054 (38.3%) males giving a male to female ratio of 1:16.”
The female preponderance, he said, was largely due to high incidence of breast and cervical cancer. 
According to him, available cancer statistics in Nigeria showed a continuous rise in cancer cases for various reasons. He said with a population of 195,875,239, (2018 Census figure) had an estimated total number of 5,950 cancer cases in 2018 for both sexes and all ages, while 2020 cancer incidence in Nigeria with a population of 206m (Census, 2020 )) rose to 124,815 (51,398 males and 73,417 females).
But despite the increasing burden and the attendant premature deaths, he observed, “cancer continues to receive a relatively low public health public health priority and being under-emphasized especially in Africa, largely because of limited resources and other public health problems which include, communicable diseases such as Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndromes (AIDs/HIV infection), Malaria, Tuberculosis and of recently Lassa Fever and the ravaging COVID 19, of pandemic proportion, whereas currently, cancer kills more people worldwide than Tuberculosis, AIDS/HIV and Malaria combined”
He therefore called on all tiers of governments, private sectors, agencies, philanthropists and individuals to coordinate and focus on scaling up activities, on prevention, early detention, diagnosis, prompt adequate treatment, palliative measures and other secondary cares in other to combat the cold epidemic of cancer.
He also appealed to men and women of means in the community to launch foundation or NGO that is not another profit making outfit but solely for supporting cancer control activities, such as procurement of doses of vaccines against Hepatitis viruses (associated with cancer of the livers), HPV associated with cervical and nasophageal cancers), for the general public.
He said, “government, especially the political leaders need to be aware of the current and impending situation about trends of cancer and take the essential actions in cancer control which include development of cost- effective and affordable approaches to prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment of the commonest cancers (breast, prostrate, cervix, colorectal and lymphoma) which constitute the bulk (57.56) of the cancer burden in the mist of us”
Comments powered by CComment