It was surprising when I read that professor Wole Soyinka battled prostate cancer, went through the treatments and conquered it. In an interview with BBC, he said it hadn’t gotten to a stage where it wasn’t reversible which helped him fight it alongside the unique proton treatment he received.
The disease called cancer may still sound alien to a lot of people in Nigeria and Africa because the percentage of cases are between moderate to low.
Cancer is a group of related diseases that have a wide range of causes. About 1.2 million cells die every day in our bodies and give way for new ones, that’s how growth and development take place. It will be a problem if the cell refuses to die and begins to grow out of proportion, then the scare of cancer becomes real.
Cancer begins when a cell receives a wrong DNA message or mutates, the body can sometimes correct those cell mutations but at the point where it does not correct itself, that rogue cell goes on to recklessly multiply other mutated cells as itself. Sometimes these cells are clustered within an area, that way it’s easier to take it out with a surgery and some other times it spreads throughout the body making it a little difficult to take out.
Cancer awareness is something everyone should get involved in because early detection offers about 90% survival rate.
The world comes together on the 4th of February annually to raise awareness with the aim of preventing deaths through cancer education and pressing governments to take action on world cancer day. Statistics show that less developed countries, as well as countries with low income, have higher cancer deaths and Nigeria falls under that category. With the current situation of poor healthcare in Nigeria, cancer treatment is too expensive for the poor and middle-class.
According to an old interview with Nigeria’s former minister of health Isaac Adewole, he said “As we are talking today, there is no public hospital in Nigeria that has a cancer treatment machine that is working,” he said.“ Ideally, we need one machine per one million people. Going by that, Nigeria should have about 200 cancer treatment machines. We have seven, but none of the seven machines is working today”.well, that was a couple of years ago but We hope that those machines are working now.
When cancer care is delayed or inaccessible there is a lower chance of survival, greater problems associated with treatment and higher costs of care. Early diagnosis improves cancer outcomes by providing care at the earliest possible stage and is therefore an important public health strategy in all settings says the World Health Organisation WHO.
These cell mutations can multiply so much to form a tumour or a swelling, not all tumours are however cancerous, these tumours are classified either as benign or malignant. Benign tumours are noncancerous and do not spread but they can become problematic when they swell so much and begin to press on other organs and tissues in the body. Malignant tumours are straight-up cancerous and spread rapidly throughout the body especially the type that travels through the bloodstream to infect other parts of the body. This process is called metastasis, cancers at this stage are far gone and more difficult to treat.
Causes of Cancer
There are several known causes and some unknown causes of cancer.
Some may be caused by exposure to certain environmental substances like gas, tobacco, asbestos fibre, human papillomavirus HPV) , smoke, radiation and ultraviolet rays from the sun, as well as lifestyle choices, especially dieting. Other causes are genetic or as a result of the individual damaged cell.
Who is at risk of getting Cancer?
- As one advances in age the risk of having cancer increases, knowing these factors that can encourage the development of those cells will help reduce your chances even at old age.
- Habits; People who smoke tobacco actively and passively (secondhand smoking). People who also drink alcohol excessively are at risk. avoid smoking if possible and drink in moderation.
- Unsafe sex: HPV is about the number one cause of cervical cancer as well as vagina, throat, anus and vulva cancer. Practice safe sex and treat infections as soon as you see or feel any symptoms, that way, it won’t be able to cause further damage.
- Some chronic health conditions, such as ulcerative colitis, can markedly increase your risk of developing certain cancers.
- As earlier said, cancer can be genetic, if a parent or sibling battled with cancer there are chances that it could be genetic, so pay special attention to yourself in order to detect any unusual growths.
Types of Cancer
The list of cancers go on and on but these are 5 common types of cancer
- Breast cancer: this is often thought to affect women only but men also suffer from breast cancer although not as much as women. It is the second-highest cancer death in the world. Women are often told to self examine themselves to detect any lump. a lump may be benign or malignant but early detection determines what it will turn out to be. A mammogram is also a way to detect cancer early. Regular mammograms are the best tests doctors have to find breast cancer early, sometimes up to three years before it can be felt.
- Prostate cancer: this is one of the most popular cancers that affect men. This cancer attacks the prostate. The prostate is a walnut-sized gland between the bladder and penis that produces the seminal fluid that nourishes and transports sperm.
Prostate cancer grows slowly and can be treated when it is detected at an early stage .It can be found early by testing for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels in a man’s blood. Another way to find prostate cancer is the digital rectal exam (DRE). For a DRE, the doctor puts a gloved, lubricated finger into the rectum to feel the prostate gland.
- Cervical cancer: this cancer occurs in the cells of the cervix and the lower part of the uterus that connects the vagina. The cause of cervical cancer is linked to (HPV)and other infections. Sexually active women and women from 30 years above are advised to run a pap smear test every 3 years, that way, if there are signs or symptoms it would immediately pick it up. Vaccines are also available for prevention but it has to be administered at an early age between 9-13 years although some doctors believe the vaccine can still be taken even at a later age but there’s no proof or guarantee that it works at that age.
- Lung cancer: This cancer begins in the lungs and people who smoke are at a higher risk of developing it. Cigarette smoke is full of cancer-causing substances when it is inhaled either by actively smoking or just hanging around smokers regularly even those who smoke shisha are at a risk. This inhalation damages the cells that line the lungs. The body may often repair those cells but from regular exposure, the damaged cells may go rogue and act abnormally which eventually causes cancer. There are multiple symptoms of lung cancer but detection can be done by an X-ray, biopsy, CT scan of the chest and sputum cytology.
- Skin cancer: this is a very common type of cancer that is a result of regular and excessive exposure to sunlight that causes the skin cells to grow abnormally. You can reduce your chances of getting skin cancer by avoiding exposure to UV rays and direct sunlight, especially for light-skinned and white people. People of colour and blacks have melanin in their skin which protects them from the direct effect of UV rays but that’s not to say they don’t get skin cancers. Be observant of your skin and any changes that occur like a new mole/old moles, birthmarks, bumps, new skin growth and freckles in any part of your body.
Treatment for Cancer
Cancer treatment is expensive and can take years to completely clear out, the type of treatment may vary based on the type of cancer the individual is dealing with. Having cancer is devastating enough and it takes a lot of courage to want to fight it and begin treatment. Cancer treatments can have complications and side effects that patients may not be willing to live with. Like hair loss, weight loss, paleness and frailty, nausea and vomiting etc.
These are however the basic cancer treatments but not limited to these.
- Surgery
- Chemotherapy
- Radiation therapy
- Bone marrow transplant
- proton
Takeaway
Cancer is a disease that no one ever wants to be told they have, not even a loved one or a distant relative. some people even give up before the fight begins because treatment can be excruciating both physically and mentally. although early detection saves lives try to avoid anything that causes cancer. The theme for this year’s world cancer day remains “I am and I will” let’s attempt to fight this menace in our little way by staying healthy and creating awareness as well as support those currently battling any type of cancer. In Wole Soyinka’s words, cancer is not a death sentence, it’s a labour of will power. hard labour is involved but ultimately you can be victorious.
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