The Nation Newspaper

Tag: cancer

  • ‘Cancer does not kill, if detected early’

    Chief Oncologist at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) and Chief Executive Officer, St. Cyril Cancer Treatment Foundation, Dr. Mojisola Animashaun, has said.

    She disclosed this at a memorial programme in honour of the late Mrs. Oluwayemisi Ayinke Joel-Osebor (nee Agboola), founder and executive director, Life Impact Foundation International (LIFI), who was killed by breast cancer.

    The event, which held at NECA House,  Ikeja, Lagos was themed: “Celebrating a life of impact”.

    Educating on breast cancer and how to go about its check, Dr. Animashaun said: “Normal cells become cancerous when mutilated. For early detection of breast cancer, steps that should be taken include self-awareness, self-examination, clinical examination and diagnosis through mammogram, ultrasound, biopsy, and histology”.

    She emphasised the need for improvement in cancer treatment in the country, and the provision of necessary equipment for chemotherapy and other treatments, promising to extend a hand of support to the rebranded LIFI.

    Eulogising her daughter, mother of the late Joel-Osebor, Mrs. Mopelola Agboola (JP) recalled one of the deceased’s favourite quotes: “Life is not in its duration, but in its donation”,  explaining the impact her daughter made on humanity.

    She added: “We, the older ones should take courage. Yemisi lived 42 full years, though she desperately wanted to live more, but I believe she fulfilled her purpose. Jesus Christ lived lesser, so it’s definitely not about duration, but donation, so let us celebrate her”.

    She said her daughter was the founder and director of LIFI, a non-governmental organisation, which focuses on promoting sustainable development, especially for under-served and vulnerable people, through knowledge sharing, skills transfer, capacity building and advocacy.

    “Before her demise, she was Lagos State Manager for GEMS3, a UK DFID project targeted at business environment improvement. She held the position of the vice president of the Alumni Association of Enterprise Development Centre, Pan Atlantic University (PAU), Nigeria. She was also a member of ‘Caring Heart’, a group that cares for orphans and the less privileged children at Daystar Christian Centre, Lagos, aside other numerous charitable works.

    “She was from Ilaro, Yewa South, Ogun State, and was married with a child. She died on August  29, 2016, after struggling with breast cancer. We are carrying on her good work through LIFI,” said Mrs. Agboola (JP).

    A free breast screening exercise held at the event and awareness on breast cancer through sharing of Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) Materials on cancer created .

  • Cancer prevention: Seven tips to reduce your risk

    Cancer prevention: Seven tips to reduce your risk

    The search engine- http://www.mayoclinic.org explains simple basic steps to avoiding cancer. And Dr Segun Fahuwa of Mister Guarantee Trado-Medical, 4F, Akerele Extension, Near Super Shopping Plaza, Surulere, Lagos answers the second question. 

    As cancer has been declared an epidemic in Nigeria what steps can I take to prevent developing one?

    –Folasade Ipaye, 32-year-old-Teacher, Ikeja, Lagos.

    Concerned about cancer prevention? Take charge by making changes such as eating a healthy diet and getting regular screenings.

    You’ve probably heard conflicting reports about cancer prevention. Sometimes the specific cancer-prevention tip recommended in one study or news report is advised against in another.

    In many cases, what is known about cancer prevention is still evolving. However, it’s well-accepted that your chances of developing cancer are affected by the lifestyle choices you make.

    So if you’re concerned about cancer prevention, take comfort in the fact that some simple lifestyle changes can make a big difference. Consider these seven cancer prevention tips.

    • Don’t use tobacco

    Using any type of tobacco puts you on a collision course with cancer. Smoking has been linked to various types of cancer — including cancer of the lung, mouth, throat, larynx, pancreas, bladder, cervix and kidney. Chewing tobacco has been linked to cancer of the oral cavity and pancreas. Even if you don’t use tobacco, exposure to secondhand smoke might increase your risk of lung cancer.

    Avoiding tobacco — or deciding to stop using it — is one of the most important health decisions you can make. It’s also an important part of cancer prevention. If you need help quitting tobacco, ask your doctor about stop-smoking products and other strategies for quitting.

    * Eat a healthy diet

    Although making healthy selections at the grocery store and at mealtime can’t guarantee cancer prevention, it might help reduce your risk. Consider these guidelines:

    Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Base your diet on fruits, vegetables and other foods from plant sources — such as whole grains and beans.

    Avoid obesity. Eat lighter and leaner by choosing fewer high-calorie foods, including refined sugars and fat from animal sources.

    If you choose to drink alcohol, do so only in moderation.The risk of various types of cancer — including cancer of the breast, colon, lung, kidney and liver — increases with the amount of alcohol you drink and the length of time you’ve been drinking regularly.

    Limit processed meats. A report from the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the cancer agency of the World Health Organisation, concluded that eating large amounts of processed meat can slightly increase the risk of certain types of cancer.

    In addition, women who eat  Mediterranean diet, supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil and mixed nuts, might have a reduced risk of breast cancer. The Mediterranean diet focuses mostly on plant-based foods, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts. People, who follow the Mediterranean diet, choose healthy fats, like olive oil, over butter and fish instead of red meat.

    • Maintain a healthy weight and be physically active

    Maintaining a healthy weight might lower the risk of various types of cancer, including cancer of the breast, prostate, lung, colon and kidney.

    Physical activity counts, too. In addition to helping you control your weight, physical activity on its own might lower the risk of breast cancer and colon cancer.

    Adults, who participate in any amount of physical activity, gain some health benefits. But for substantial health benefits, strive to get at least 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes a week of vigorous aerobic physical activity. You can also do a combination of moderate and vigorous activity. As a general goal, include at least 30 minutes of physical activity in your daily routine, and if you can do more, even better.

    • Protect yourself from the sun

    Skin cancer is one of the most common kinds of cancer and one of the most preventable. Try these tips:

    Avoid midday sun. Stay out of the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when the sun’s rays are strongest.

    Stay in the shade. When you’re outdoors, stay in the shade as much as possible. Sunglasses and a broad-brimmed hat help, too.

    Cover exposed areas. Wear tightly woven, loosefitting clothing that covers as much of your skin as possible. Opt for bright or dark colours, which reflect more ultraviolet radiation than pastels or bleached cotton.

    Don’t skimp on sunscreen. Use generous amounts of sunscreen when you’re outdoors, and re-apply often.

    Avoid tanning beds and sunlamps. These are just as damaging as natural sunlight.

    • Get immunised

    Cancer prevention includes protection from certain viral infections. Talk to your doctor about immunisation against: Hepatitis B, which can increase the risk of developing liver cancer. The hepatitis B vaccine is recommended for certain high-risk adults, such as adults, who are sexually active but not in a mutually monogamous relationship, people with sexually transmitted infections, intravenous drug users, men who have sex with men, and health care or public safety workers, who might be exposed to infected blood or body fluids.

    Human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV is a sexually transmitted virus that can lead to cervical and other genital cancers as well as squamous cell cancers of the head and neck. The HPV vaccine is recommended for girls and boys of ages 11 and 12. It is also available to both men and women of age 26 or younger, who did not have the vaccine as adolescents.

    • Avoid risky behaviours

    Another effective cancer prevention tactic is to avoid risky behaviours that can lead to infections, which, in turn, might increase the risk of cancer. For example: Practice safe sex, limit your number of sexual partners, and use a condom when you have sex. The more sexual partners you have in your lifetime, the more likely you are to contract a sexually transmitted infection — such as HIV or HPV.

    People, who have HIV or AIDS, have a higher risk of cancer of the anus, liver and lung. HPV is most often associated with cervical cancer, but it might also increase the risk of cancer of the anus, penis, throat, vulva and vagina.

    Don’t share needles. Sharing needles with an infected drug user can lead to HIV, as well as hepatitis B and C, which can increase the risk of liver cancer. If you are concerned about drug abuse or addiction, seek professional help.

    • Get regular medical care

    Regular self-examinations and screenings for various types of cancers, such as cancer of the skin, colon, cervix and breast,  can increase your chances of discovering cancer early, when treatment is most likely to be successful. Ask your doctor about the best cancer screening schedule for you.

    Take cancer prevention into your own hands, starting today. The rewards will last a lifetime.

  • Substandard phones responsible for cancer ailments, NCC warns

    Substandard phones responsible for cancer ailments, NCC warns

    Nigerians have been warned to refrain from using substandard phones. Reason: it is responsible for some cancer ailments, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) said yesterday.

    An official of the commission, Mr  Kunle Olorundare, gave the warning at a stakeholders workshop organised by the Ibadan Zonal office of the NCC in Ado Ekiti.

    Olorundare, who lamented that fake phones had taken over the country’s phone market, added that such phones have had negative implications on the health of their users.

    The NCC official also identified unapproved phones as a major cause of network interruptions.

    He said the preponderance of substandard phones was causing colossal damage to network services and health of users.

    Olorundare warned that sellers of unapproved Information and Communication Technology (ICT) products were flouting the commission’s Act.

    He said they could face prosecution or seizure of their market items if they did not desist from selling such henceforth.

    Olorundare also advised phone sellers across the country to ensure the phones they buy from manufacturers and dealers were approved by the NCC.

    He added that the NCC had a list of all Information and Communication ICT products approved for sale and use in Nigeria.

    Another official of the commission, who represented the Head of Zonal Operations in Abuja, Mr. Ekisola Oladosu, promised that the NCC would do all within its powers to check the proliferation of substandard phones.

    He noted that the task of sanitising the Nigerian phone market rested on all stakeholders, and called on Nigerians to support the campaign.

  • Postpone your burial

    Postpone your burial

    Living up to a 100 years or more is a feat most people want to achieve, and this can be achieved when good health is actualized. Health, afterall they say, is wealth.

    In order to stay fit, fresh and last longer than people within your age bracket, you need to take your health and issues around it very seriously, in that way, you would have postponed your burial!!!

    Here are five simple tips and tricks on how to stay in good health and enjoy a healthy long life

    1. Eat right:

    A comprehensive review of thousands of studies on diet, physical activity, and weight conducted for the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research pointed to the benefits of eating mostly foods of plant origin. Fruits and vegetables such as carrots, red tomatoes, grapes, avocados, berries, apple and garlic showed some of the strongest links to cancer prevention. They’re low in calories and fat and packed with phytochemicals and antioxidants that may help reduce your cancer risk and increases your chances of living a long healthy life. Green tea, avocados, walnuts, have also been observed through research to make people look younger and fresher.

    However, you should be careful with the intake of these fruits and vegetables as antioxidants can be dangerous to health.

    Adding extra unnecessary antioxidants (vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin A) to our diet can be dangerous. You can eat as many fruits as you like but don’t forget that almost all things are poisonous in large enough quantities – even water, though you would have to drink an awful lot to kill you.

    A Cochrane Review published in 2016, which looked at the results of hundreds of individual studies, found out that current evidence does not support the use of antioxidant supplements in the general population or in patients with various diseases as they could increase the chances of death for such patients, they advised for moderate intake of fruits to achieve maximum health optimization.

    1. Get up and move about:

    New Research in Public library of science (PLOS) Medicine 2009, has actually put a number on the benefits of physical exercise, finding that 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week (think: 5 days of 30-minute workouts, like walking, bicycling, or hiking) will earn you an extra 3.4 years, and even just 75 minutes a week (that’s 10 minutes a day!) could extend your life by 1.8 years. Exercise is good for you. Really good for you! So whether you’ve been sidelined due to an injury or are just straight-up lazy lately, do what it takes to safely get yourself back in the game—because even 10 minutes a day will stretch your lifespan.

    1. Turn off the Television:

    Too much time in front of the television can take a serious toll on your health. A team of researchers at Tohoku University in Japan, led by neuroscientist Hikaru Takeuchi, first published findings on a study that people who watched television four or more hours a day were 46% more likely to die from any cause than people who watched less than two hours a day.

    Even cutting back a little can help because they found out that each additional hour you watch television increases your overall risk of dying by 11% and dying from heart disease by 18%.

    1. Stay out of the sun:

    Avoiding too much sun can head off skin cancer, and it can also keep you looking young by preventing wrinkles, fine lines, and saggy skin. Although Nigeria can be very sunny, It’s never too early or too late to add sunscreen to your daily skincare regimen and don’t focus only on your face, your chest and feet can also get splotches and spots when you ignore them. You can also walk around with an umbrella to avoid the harsh impact of the sun on your skin especially in Nigeria.

    1. Quit smoking:

    This is perhaps the most important thing you can do to postpone your burial. A study published in the American Journal of Public Health found that people who quit smoking by age 35 add roughly six to eight years to their lives.

    It’s never too late to kick the habit. Quitting can slow disease and increase survival odds even in smokers who have already caused significant damage to their lungs, like those with early lung cancer.

    These few easy tips can help you add 10-15 years to your life span… So, go postpone that burial!!!

  • Adewole advises healers on cancer treatment

    Adewole advises healers on cancer treatment

    Do you have a cure for cancer? If yes,  contact the Federal Ministry of Health, Abuja. The ministry is ready to engage natural health practitioners and explore traditional medicine and alternative treatments in cancer treatment.

    Minister of Health, Prof Isaac Adewole made the appeal at a seminar at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH). The seminar was organised by his ministry to address the rising cases of cancer across the country.

    Speaking on the topic: ‘’Cancer in Nigeria: Screening, diagnosis, treatment and data collection’’, with ‘’Building a team of policy makers, providers and users of healthcare’’ as sub-theme, Adewole said only research would enhance the understanding of cancer and help find and develop better effective treatments, adding that only a global search for answers will help us get to find a cure this disease.

    He said: “There are no parts or organs of the body that cancer cannot attack- except three – nails, teeth and hair. It is crucial to remember that cancer is not one disease – it is more than 200. All are different, unique diseases, which require different approaches for treatment. Treatments that work for some cancers don’t work for others and sometimes those treatments simply stop working.  Thanks to decades of research, survival from cancer has doubled in the last 40 years.”

    He identified breast cancer, cervical cancer and ovarian cancer as the commonest among women while prostrate, liver, colorectal cancer, also known as bowel cancer, colon cancer or rectal cancer, which is cancer (a growth, lump, tumor) of the colon and the rectum (CRC) and connective/soft tissue as rampant among men.

    Adewole said: “Just as in the global world, great researchers and sponsors are encouraged, we, also at the Ministry of Health, are saying, if we believe a project can make a difference in the fight against cancer, then we will award a grant to make it happen. We are not interested in national borders or any kind of geographical bias, just the most promising proposals. And that’s the very reason we are asking for the brightest and best practitioners from around the nation to bring their work to us.”

    He said cancer treatment is not only about drugs, but also about getting the diagnosis right. “But cancer also needs to be diagnosed, and treatment needs monitoring – so there are huge efforts underway to improve and speed up cancer diagnosis and to find ways to monitor the success – or failure – of treatment. For example, almost every week, we see a new paper that finds a new potential biomarker to detect cancer, and all of these need to be followed up in larger research studies. Our ultimate goal is seeing no life cut short by cancer, and we are exploring all fronts to ensure that,” Adewole said.

    He continued: “Understanding what causes cancer, who gets it, and why, is a huge area of research. For example, we know that our diet is very important in determining our risk of cancer; yet, we are still very much in the dark as to how. Huge studies are going on across the world looking at how diet and other lifestyle choices can affect our risk of the disease. And answer will emerge someday.

    ‘’The World Health Organisation (WHO) recognises traditional medicine (TM) and we will not jettison that. So, anybody that has an answer to the disease should contact the cancer unit of the Ministry. Contact person is David Atuwo- 08033113070, email- datuwo@yahoo.com. Or twit me @IsaacFAdewole, @fmohnigeria or @akinolaboade.”

    To forestall cases of cancer, the Minister appealed to Nigerians to stop lifestyles that promote the disease, especially smoking – primary or secondary.

    “The most common risk factors for cancer include aging, tobacco, sun exposure, radiation exposure, chemicals and other substances, some viruses and bacteria, certain hormones, family history of cancer, alcohol, poor diet, lack of physical activity, or being overweight,” he said.

    Dr. Bola Oyeledun of Centre for Integrated Health Programmes (CIHP) Nigeria, who spoke on: ‘’Cancer epidemiology in Nigeria: Where we were … and getting to where we need be’’, said all hands should be on deck to ensure that Nigeria eradicate the disease.

    “We are doing all to capture the rate but there are so many unreported cases that just die off. There are three types of cancer registries. Population-based cancer registries monitor new cases within well-defined populations over periods of time and have been recognised as useful sources of information on the incidence, prevalence and mortality from cancer in various populations worldwide. The data they generate is particularly useful for cancer prevention, early detection, determination of cancer rates and trends, research and evaluation of cancer control efforts. Hospital-based cancer registries, on the other hand, collect data about diagnosis and treatment of cancer within a hospital or group of hospitals. They are, therefore, suitable for comparison of cancer care infrastructure (personnel, resources and logistics) and treatment outcomes. The third type of cancer registries are special cancer registries that are devoted either to specific cancers or groups of cancers, e.g. pediatric cancer registries, gastric cancer registries, etc. Such registries are valuable for research and public, patients and professional educational purposes.”

    She said: “Cancer registration in Nigeria experienced significant setbacks in early 70s and 80s due to the economic and political challenges then. Data from the Ibadan Cancer Registry was no longer accepted for inclusion in Cancer inventory (CIV) and no new population-based Cancer Registry data of sufficient quality was generated. There was, therefore, no reliable source of information on cancer incidence, prevalence and mortality in the country during this period. Information about epidemiology of cancer were published as case series from clinical, pathology and autopsy records, which were often hospital-based, incomplete and reflected the resources and specialties available at the specific institutions. These sources of information were limited and could not provide information on cancer incidence, often over-represented cancers that were easy to diagnose, were biased by the resources at the specific institution and interests of the personnel reporting the data.”

    She said: “One-third of deaths from cancer are due to the five leading behavioural and dietary risks -tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, obesity, pollution. Vaccination against cancer causing infections could prevent 1.1 million cases per year (e.g. HPV, Hep B vaccinations). Only 14 percent of people in need of palliative care  receive it. Less than 30 percent of low-income countries reported that treatment services are available compared to more than 90 percent of high-income countries. Only one in five low- and middle-income countries have the necessary data to drive cancer policy.

    “Rising cancer incidence will strain limited heath care resources. To appropriately fund prevention, early diagnosis, curative and palliative care needs detailed knowledge of the burden of disease. Deaths due to communicable, maternal and neonatal causes   are decreasing globally while Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) are rising.

    The medic said there are more international policies, such as the World Global Action Plan for the control of NCD 2013-2020, which have been integrated into SDGs  to address the gaps.  She said prevention and treatment of chronic infections, such as Hepatitis B and C, would reduce the incidence of liver cancers, adding that HPV vaccination would reduce cervical cancer incidence.

    On the way forward, she suggested evidence based-programming, high quality and functional regional cancer registries, cancer awareness and strategic behaviour change communication,, citing #BeseenGetScreened #Gettreatedintime.

    She said: ‘’Functional policies and guidelines on NCCP and tertiary health institutions need to be further strengthened, Private sector involvement and active participation in the prevention, diagnosis, management and end-of-life care (for profit and non-profit). And, importantly, the political commitment to make this happen is desired.”

  • Inner Wheel to Ambode: build cancer centres

    The Inner Wheel Club, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), has urged the Lagos State Government to build one cancer centre in each of the five old divisional areas of the state: Epe, Badagry, Ikeja, Lagos Island and Ikorodu.

    Mrs Fathiat Rufai, the 34th District Chairman of the Club, made the appeal in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

    Rufai condemned the rate at which cancer was claiming the lives of people, especially women, across the country.

    “This is not encouraging; it is saddening. We need to create avenues to reduce the death rate of cancer in the state and across the country.

    “That is the reason why the organisation is calling on the Lagos State Government to help in building cancer centres in the five old divisional areas of the state.

    Rufai lamented at the increasing rate at which cancer was claiming the lives of people especially women across the country.

    “This is not encouraging; it is sadden. We need to create avenue to reduce the death rate of cancer in the state and across the country.

    “That is the reason why the organisation is calling on Lagos State Government to help in building cancer centres across the divisional areas of the state.

    “It will give patients the opportunity to have quick and easy access to where they can have treatment at early stage before getting worst,’’ she said.

    Rufai said that the NGO recently had a road show awareness on cancer in Lagos, which was part of the organisation’s project for this year.

    “Early detection of cancer can still be cured, therefore, women once they notice any strange lumps in their breasts or any part of their bodies should report to the clinic immediately.

    “Cancer kills; it has claimed lives of several women in the society. We are not happy about this occurrence,’’ she said.

    She urged the government to be proactive in addressing the disease in the state and across the society by providing cancer centres across the city.

    “We want the Lagos State Government to come to women’s aid by providing early solution to this disease.

    “We are your mothers, your wives, sisters, aunties and daughters, therefore, you need to come to our rescue in providing solutions to this disease at an early stage through building of cancer centres, and equipping them  with modern equipment and facilities,’’ she said.

     

  • Cancer machines

    •Regardless of recession, Nigeria should be able to keep them working

    Nigerians diagnosed with cancer are in serious danger. All the radiation treatment machines are out of use in various parts of the country. Out of the eight radiotherapy machines procured by the Federal Government over 10 years ago and distributed to seven states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), none is functioning at present. It is not clear how many of about nine Linear Accelerators (LINAC) believed to be owned by private hospitals are working. Most cancer patients cannot afford to patronise private hospitals because of prohibitive cost of such hospitals. The few government hospitals that would have been available to such patients are now unable to treat people in dire need of immediate medical attention.

    Commenting on what has become periodic problems of guaranteeing radiotherapy for a population of about two million people diagnosed with cancer in the country, the Chief Medical Director of Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, Lagos, Prof. Chris Bode, said: “The radiotherapy machine in question has exhausted its lifespan, but we are not relenting in keeping it functional. But we need to understand that out of seven radiotherapy machines procured during former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration about 12 years ago under the VAMED hospital equipment refurbishing project, LUTH’s radiotherapy machine is the only one still standing in the whole country … On a normal day, we treat over 100 patients. Ideally LUTH should have about three to six radiotherapy machines but we are left with a 12-year-old machine that has exhausted its lifespan.”

    Similarly, the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, has confirmed that Nigeria has too few radiotherapy machines to meet the needs of its population of cancer patients: “We don’t have enough (machines) to go round but we are working hard to address that gap. There was a cancer machine in the National Hospital for three years and it was in a crate but it was only when this administration came in that we were able to install it, so you should praise this administration.”

    Obviously, there are multiple factors for the dearth of radiotherapy machines in the country. The few machines available are overused and thus break down intermittently. Constant power failures cause periodic breakdown of cancer treatment machines. In addition, the cost of repairing such machines is prohibitive, and most importantly, there are no biomedical engineering companies in the country to service radiotherapy machines, thus leaving the country to fly in foreign experts.

    We believe none of these problems should be insurmountable for any country that respects the humanity of its citizens. For example, Morocco with a population of 30 million has 28 LINACs while Nigeria with six times the population of Morocco has a total of 18 LINACs, with about half currently out of use and the nine in private hospitals too prohibitive for the average Nigerian. Governments across the country should feel ashamed that they have made a culture of pretending that lives of citizens matter to them while looking away from those denied of urgent medical attention for the most painful disease.

    Even if the eight radiotherapy machines owned by the Federal Government are working regularly and efficiently, they are far too few to cater for the country’s  citizens diagnosed with cancer. In a country where the National Health Insurance Scheme (NIHS) does not cover cancer patients and with no free or subsidised medical treatment for citizens, governments at all levels appear to be derelict in their duties when they fail to plan to ensure that cancer patients are not put in danger unnecessarily. Promising after 12 years to solve this problem through PPP or through a special initiative illustrates utter disregard for citizens’ health and wellbeing. And there is no better government to solve this problem immediately than the Buhari administration voted to bring change to the country.

    We call on our governments to realise that majority of Nigerians cannot afford to rush abroad for treatment, the way government leaders and those close to them usually do. We remind the Federal Government in particular of its duty to fix not only broken down cancer machines immediately but to also find ways to collaborate with the private sector to procure machines that are commensurate with the needs of the population. In addition, with over 100 universities  there is no excuse for not having biomedical engineers to fix radiotherapy machines. Only callous leaders would leave their citizens to suffer, as cancer patients in the country currently do.

  • Cancer is curable, says minister

    Cancer is curable, says minister

    CONTRARY to widespread belief that cancer has no cure, the disease is curable, according to Health Minister Prof. Isaac Adewole.

    He, however, said the disease must be detected early and treated. The minister spoke at the symposium held by his ministry themed: “Cancer in Nigeria symposium”.

    It was held at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi Araba, Lagos.

    Adewole said his ministry was strategising to address the rising rate of cancer in Nigeria.

    According to him, the ministry will embark on aggressive behavioural change campaign.

    Adewole said 30 to 50 per cent of cancers are preventable.

    He lamented that most Nigerians’ attitude of “I reject it, not my portion, which ultimately leads to late reporting to hospitals, is the reason why most people are dying from the otherwise preventable and curable disease”.

    He named six types of cancers that are so common in Nigeria as: breast and cervical cancers among women, prostate and colon cancers among men as well as liver and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) – common in both men and women.

    “Out of the many corpses that are being brought back into the country, over 50 per cent die from cancer. Many more Nigerians are developing cancers because of change in diet and lifestyle.

     

     

  • Lions Club to fight against cancer, diabetics

    Lions Club to fight against cancer, diabetics

    The International Association of Lions Club has promised to tackle cancer and diabetics in its 2017-2018 service year.

    It described the two diseases as the major ailments killing masses in the society.

    Its District 404B-1 Nigeria Governor, Oyewole Oyewunmi, an engineer, made this known at the District cabinet meeting in Ogun State. He said his regime would campaign against the two deadly diseases during his tenure.

    He said: ‘’Feeding the hungry, youth empowerment, tackling environmental challenges and eye screening exercises” we would embark on public enlightenment, prevention and treatment of cancer and diabetics until it finally become things of the past in the country’’.

    According to him, the club would be educating the masses on diabetics and cancer, symptoms/detection, risk/effects and treatment options.

    Oyewunmi took over the mantle as the District 404B-1 Governor to serve for the year 2017-2018 from Waheed Kadiri who served for 2016-2017.

    Oyewunmi noted that his regime would also focus on building vocational centres to be called “LionsDen” in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital and provide grants for youth empowerment training programme in partnership with Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi (FIIRO).

    He appealed to members to support the projects through payment of their dues. He noted that it would only achieve the proposed projects through the prompt payment of dues and voluntary donations.

     

  • Universal cure for HIV, cancer underway, says Nobel laureate

    Efforts are ongoing to develop a universal cure for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and cancer through collaboration, a Nobel laureate, Prof. Francoise Barre-Sinoussi, has said.

    Prof. Barre-Sinoussi, a co-discoverer of the HIV, said this in Paris while conducting reporters on a tour of the sophisticated laboratories at Institut Pasteur.

    The Nobel laureate and Luc Montagnier co-discovered the HIV in 1983.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted her as saying the HIV Cure and Cancer Forum would on Saturday be inaugurated at the Institut Curie in Paris.

    “Efforts are now underway to determine if these cancer therapies can be used to build up the immune system of patients with HIV.

    “This will be in such a way that HIV patients can achieve a durable and perhaps life-long treatment–free state of remission,’’ she said.

    The former IAS President said many of the key immune pathways now being therapeutically manipulated to cure cancer were first discovered in studies of chronic viral infections, particularly HIV.

    “We know that controlling HIV in the absence of therapy will require the generation and maintenance of powerful CD8+ or Killer-T cells that can target vulnerable parts of the virus.

    “The challenge is remarkably similar to that in oncology where the goal of innovative therapies is to generate Killer T cells that recognises and clear cancer cells.

    “Timothy Brown is the only person cured of HIV, and this was due to the work of a highly resourceful team of Oncologists.

    “His case illustrates that we need to do more to incentivise scientists to work across diseases and to ensure that research funding allows these synergies,’’  she said.

    The Emeritus Director of Research at Inserm expressed optimism that synergy would continue to strengthen the sciences and research.

    IAS President Prof. Linda-Gail Bekker said continued support for research was essential.

    She said the gathering in Paris would be used to inform the global community that research cuts would reverse the progress made against HIV and put more lives at risk.

    Among those who led the IAS team round the laboratories were Prof. Olivier Schwartz, Head of Virus and Immunity Unit and Dr. Asier Saez-Cirion, the Team Leader, HIV and Inflammation Unit.

    Also on the IAS team were Prof. Jean-Francois Delfraissy, Dr. Jean-Francois Chambon and Prof. Francois Dabis.