The Nation Newspaper

Tag: cancer

  • Shoprite opens in Onitsha; runs free cancer screening 

    Shoprite opens in Onitsha; runs free cancer screening 

    Shoprite demonstrated its commitment to growing Nigeria with the opening of its Onitsha Mall.

    Eager shoppers enjoyed a vibrant programme of music and dance before flocking to the store to take advantage of the great opening specials and deals. The opening proved to be an overwhelming sales day for the store, with satisfied shoppers all-round.

    Located in the state’s first modern shopping mall, the store is set to bring consumers the same low prices and convenience it is known for. As the flagship brand in the mall, the store will cater for customers’ daily, weekly and monthly food and household requirements. Over and above a wide range of food and non-food lines, it features various service departments including a Meat Market, Bakery, Deli, and a Fresh Fruit and Vegetable department. 15-till points have been set up to deal with high volumes of shoppers. All of this in a world-class shopping experience.

    Executive Governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano who was accompanied by his wife and other government dignitaries officiated at the opening of the store and mall, remarking that the occasion was a milestone in his administration’s efforts to make the state the centrepiece for commercial activities.

    Through the store opening, Shoprite, in partnership with the management of Onitsha mall, is doing its part by creating over 1,000 job opportunities for locals. The Onitsha store marks Shoprite’s 18th store opening in the country since it first began operations in 2005. Shoprite employs over 2500 people in Nigeria and is committed to supporting local enterprises. The Group has built relationships with over 400 leading Nigerian suppliers, small businesses and farmers, securing a wide assortment of local brands.

    Additionally, as part of the brand’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme, the Shoprite Community Network hosted a two-day free breast cancer screening for women in Onitsha, in conjunction with Run For A Cure Africa (RFCA), a national NGO specializing in breast cancer awareness work. Speaking during the event where over 250 women were screened, Founder of RFCA, Ebele Mbanugo said “It has been a rewarding experience partnering with Shoprite to offer free breast cancer screening to the women of Onitsha because a lot of people go about their daily routine without taking the time out to examine their body. This contributes to the increasing rate of breast cancer deaths. I wish more organizations would take a leaf from Shoprite and their continuous push to create awareness about the dangers of breast cancer “.

    Speaking on behalf of Shoprite Nigeria, Executive Director Adeola Kagho said that she was excited about the warm reception that the store was receiving from the people of the state. “We look forward to opening more stores and playing our part to impact more communities. The free breast cancer screening is just one of the many CSR projects we intend to embark upon in the state and I am happy to witness the high turnout of women taking part in the screening exercise”

     

  • Foundation canvasses holistic approach to cancer treatment

    To ensure good care of patients, the Cancer Education and Advocacy Foundation of Nigeria (CEAFON) has advocated a multi-disciplinary approach to the disease treatment.

    CEAFON president Prof Abayomi Durosinmi-Etti said the rising incidence of cancer calls for a holistic approach to its management and treatment.

    Durosinmi-Etti, who was briefing reporters the forth coming 2016 Cancer Summit, said the age-long practice of patients being attended to by a particular doctor is no longer acceptable.

    Moreover, the treatment of patients requires multi-faceted expertise.

    He said: “We are mobilising the medical experts in the various aspects of cancer management to key into this approach so we can proffer solutions to the disease.”

    The don spoke of the need for a National Standard Operating Protocol for cancer treatment to make cancer management easier in the country.

    “We are looking at having the same kind of teletherapy radiotherapy machines and techniques for treatment of cancer across all the centres. That way, a patient can walk into any other centre for treatment, if for instance, one breaks down, knowing that he/she will get the same kind of treatment,” he said.

    On the summit tagged: “The Fight against Breast cancer in Nigeria”, which will hold between October 5 and 6  in Abuja, the nation’s capital, Prof. Durosinmi-Etti said  breast cancer would be on the front burner again, because of its prevalence.

    He said: “Last year it was about breast cancer and this year we are still focusing on it, because it is a major problem, especially for women. Right now, breast cancer is about 26.6 per cent, while cervical cancer is about 23.2 per cent of all cancers we manage in Nigeria. We will also touch the issue of cervical cancer, but breast cancer is really the major focus.”

    He added that the summit will also discuss treatment of advanced cancer, given that over 80 per cent of cancer cases in Nigeria today are in the advanced stage.

    “We are looking to see how we can increase awareness and educate the public on early detection because we believe that many forms of Cancer are preventable and potentially ‘curable’, if detected on time,” Durosinmi-Etti said.

  • Onions lowers risk of cancer – Dietician

    Onions lowers risk of cancer – Dietician

    Dr Tunde Ajobo, a dietician at the University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan, on Thursday said that consuming onions could lower the risk of several diseases, particularly colorectal and stomach cancer.

    Ajobo, who is also Head of Department of Dietetics, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan that onions were a good source of strong antioxidant and vitamin C that help to combat the formation of free radicals known to cause cancer.

    He described onions as part of the alliums family of vegetables and herbs like chives, garlic, scallions and leeks.

    “Allium vegetables have been cultivated for centuries for not only their characteristic, pungent flavours but also for their medicinal properties.

    “Onions can vary in size, shape, colour and flavour and the most common types are red, yellow and white onions,’’ he said.

    According to Ajobo, onion flavours can vary from sweet and juicy with a mild flavour to a sharp, spicy and pungent often depending on the season in which they are grown and consumed.
    He said an estimated 105 billion pounds of onions are harvested each year world-wide with a quarter of the figure grown in Africa.

    He also said that the possible health benefits of consuming onions (aside from lowering risk of several cancers) include improving mood and maintaining the health of skin and hair.

    “Onions are a nutrient-dense food; meaning that while they are low in calories they are high in beneficial nutrients like vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

    “One cup of chopped onion contains approximately 64 calories, 15 grams of carbohydrates with no fat and no cholesterol.

    “It also contains 3 grams of fibre, 7 grams of sugar, 2 grams of protein and 10 per cent or more of daily value for vitamin C, vitamin B-6 and manganese.

    “Onions also contain a small amount of calcium, iron, folate, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium and the antioxidants quercetin and sulphur,’’ he said.

    The dietician also recommended consumption of onions because of its many other health benefits.

    “Allium vegetables have been studied extensively in relation to cancer, especially stomach and colorectal cancers.

    “Their beneficial and preventive effects are likely due in part to their rich organosulfur compounds.

    “Although the exact mechanism by which these compounds inhibit cancer is unknown, possible hypothesis include the inhibition of tumour growth and mutagenesis and prevention of free radicals.’’

    According to Ajobo, several studies have proved that onion consumption help to lower risk of stomach cancer, colorectal cancer, colon and prostate cancer.

    He, however, warned that consuming a diet of mostly onions has its health risks.

    “It is best to eat a diet with a variety of foods than to concentrate on a single one; this is key to good health,’’ the dietician advised.

     

  • Student dies of cancer

    Student dies of cancer

    A student of the Department of Modern European Languages and Linguistics at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS), Issa Yusuf, has died of cancer.

    The 400-Level Linguistics student, died last Friday at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH).

    Many of his colleagues broke down in tears on hearing the news.

    Lecturers were shocked.

    The late Yusuf was buried the following day–in line with Islamic rites. It was somber when the late Yusuf’s family members, colleagues and lecturers gathered for his funeral.

    In his short exhortation, Sheikh Abdullahi Abdulmalik, who performed the Janazah (burial) prayer, said the deceased had returned to his Creator. Quoting from Quran 2:156-157, he said: “The believers, in adversity, say we belong to Allah and to him we shall return. On such men will be Allah’s blessing and mercy, who are rightly guided.”

    He advised the mourners to toe the path of Allah, saying there was no guarantee that all goals set by human beings would be accomplished. Death, he said, is a debt everyone must pay.

    The Head of Department (HOD), Dr Aminu Mode, described the late Yusuf as friendly and obedient, saying: “I am yet to come to terms with the reality of Yusuf’s death.”

    Vice President of the Students’ Union Government (SUG), Amina Yahyah described his death as a painful exit. She said: “His father died not too long. Yusuf was a friend to everybody. He was always willing to go the extra mile for his friends. He will live in our hearts forever.”

    His friend, Muyiwa Awodele, a 400-Level English Language student, said: “I have lost a friend and brother. He was one of the finest students in the department. His death should be a reminder for us to lead a good life.”

    Mubarak Aremu, another final year student of English Language, said he was a key member of the Yoruba students’ association.

    The late Yusuf’s course mate, Majeed Abdul, said he did not expect his friend to die so soon, describing Yusuf’s death as shocking. “He had been in hospital for a period, but I never expected the ailment would lead to his death. It is such a tragedy,” he said.

    The late Yusuf, 27, hailed from Offa Local Government Area of Kwara State.

     

  • How to avoid cancer, by experts

    How to avoid cancer, by experts

    A breast cancer survivor, Mrs Benedicta Oboh, has relived how she overcame the deadly ailment. She spoke at a summit organised by Anti-Drug, Misuse and Abuse Programme (ADMAP),  a non-governmental organisation (NGO), to mark the World Cancer Day. EZEKIEL EFEOBHOKHAN (500-Level Pharmacy) reports.

    Cancer can be survived even after diagnosis, says Mrs Benedicta Oboh, a survivor. “I don’t know how God did it, but I did not react to any of the chemotherapeutic agents used on me,” she told a gathering of students at a summit organised by Anti-Drug Misuse and Abuse Programme (ADMAP), a non-governmental Organisation (NGO), to mark the World Cancer Day.

    The event was held at the Lecture Theatre II in the old Faculty of Pharmacy Complex of the University of Benin (UNIBEN).

    Mrs Oboh was invited to tell her story at the event with the theme: Not beyond us. Those in the audience included lecturers and and secondary school pupils.

    Mrs Oboh recounted how she survived after a series of chemotherapy. The audience was held spellbound as she explained in an emotion-laden voice.

    “It is God that made me to survive,” the breast cancer survivor, who had her treatment at National hospital Abuja, told members of the audience, adding: “There was no other thing that made me survive other than divine intervention. On a certain date in 2009, I observed a lump in one of my breasts. After routine examination, I was told that it was not cancer. Later, I was told by doctors to go for further examination, which I did. But it was later discovered that I needed to remove the breast. That was when it occurred to me that I was dealing with a breast cancer.”

    She continued: “After removing the breast, I went for chemotherapy. It was not easy, but it was God. I ran into debt, trying to get treatment but God sustained me all through. Many persons were reluctant to lend me money for treatment. They thought I would not survive the treatment. But I did.”

    Mrs Oboh said she did not feel nausea and other symptoms associated with chemotherapy. She said the treatment was done by “the finger of God”.

    She added: “I kept telling myself that I would live to take care of my children. I kept having a positive face towards God and He did not fail me.”

    The ADMAP chairman, Isaac Ehimen, said people usually have fears and negative thoughts when they hear about cancer, negative thoughts. Corroborating Mrs Oboh, he said the surviving cancer was not beyond anyone.

    Dr Joseph Adewole, a consultant at the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) engaged the participants to different types of cancers and their treatments. He linked people’s way of life as a cause for rising cancer cases.

    He said: “Unregulated Intake of nicotine and alcohol and obesity increase the risk of having cancers. Also, westernisation has also led to an increase in the incidents of cancer in this part of the world.”

    He warned that modesty remained the key to survived, since scientific postulations proved inadequate to stop the surge in cases of cancer. Adewole added: “People should be careful of what they ingest. We must organise what we eat and reduce our urge to patronise public restaurants.”

    An Oncology pharmacist at UBTH, Dr Comfort Izzah, advised the participants to eat natural food, noting that it was the best way to avoid cancer. While explaining the benefits of eating fruits, she said people must avoid taking synthetic products to escape the disease.

    Prof Ray Ozolua of the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology also spoke about the way people could survive cancer during a question-and-answer session.

    The event featured training on how women can conduct personal examination on their breast. They were advised to do the check every 30 days, because early detection could help in surviving cancer.

  • Foundation diagnoses 200 with breast cancer

    Two hundred women have full-blown breast cancer in Kwara State, LEAH Charity Foundation has said.

    It added that 96 full-blown cervical patients were detected at its facilities in Ilorin.

    Addressing reporters yesterday, the founder and wife of Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, Omolewa, said the foundation in the last three years screened 11,500 women for breast and cervical cancers.

    Represented by the Executive Director, Alhaji Lanre Bello, Mrs. Ahmed said it was determined to tackle the disease.

    “We have reached out to young girls in secondary schools and tertiary institutions.”

    She said statistics for cancers’ deaths, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), were high, adding that 7.6 million people died from the disease yearly.

    The founder said: “Four million of these die prematurely between the ages of 30 and 69.

    “WHO has warned us that unless we embark on an awareness and education drive in our communities, the burden of premature death by cancer, a disease that kills more than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis, will continue to rise.

    “We set up peer groups with the name, LEAH anti-cancer club, to serve as a vehicle to reach adolescents and their parents and relatives by sensitising them on healthy lifestyles that can prevent infection.

  • Experts seek early detection of cancer

    Experts seek early detection of cancer

    Cancer experts yesterday urged Nigerians to check for the disease to detect it early.

    At the 2nd edition of Omolara Jolaoso Memorial Lecture to mark the World Cancer Day, the experts said early detection would increase the chances of people surviving cancer.

    A consultant radiologist, Prof Remi Ajekigbe, said people can survive cancer if it is picked early because “cancer is not a death sentence”.

    He urged people to present early to health facilities anytime they notice a lump or any changes in their body.

    “We are not happy with the way we see cancer patients presenting late in the hospital. What is wrong with women doing breast self-examination? What is wrong with people speaking out if they have anything unusual in their body?” he said.

    Ajekigbe, who chaired the programme, said awareness was key to surviving cancer, adding that people should be educated on steps to take when they are confronted with the problem.

    Julie Gralow, professor of medical oncology at the University of Washington, United States, said people are surviving cancer, adding that the situation should not be different in Nigeria.

    According to her, there are 14 million cancer survivors in the United States.

    “Over 90 per cent of cancer survivors are alive for at least five years,” she said.

    Gralow said survivorship was a critical part of comprehensive cancer control programme in the US.

    The oncologist urged the people to engage in healthy eating and regular exercise as these would ensure longevity for survivors.

    “Exercise is part of our treatment for cancer survivors. Nutrition may also decrease cancer recurrence,” she said.

    She said prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment and support would bring about survivorsip.

    The don said yoga can improve symptoms and quality of life of survivors.

    “Most survivors often experience anxiety and depression, among other conditions,” she said.

  • FG to upgrade cancer control programme

    FG to upgrade cancer control programme

    The Federal Government on Thursday said it will upgrade the Cancer Control Programme to National Agency for the Control of Cancer to enhance early detection and proper management of the disease in the country.

    Rep. Mohammed Usman, Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Health, made this known during a news conference organised by Federal Ministry of Health to commemorate the 2016 World Cancer Day in Abuja.

    Usman said the House of Representatives had approved his prayers in the motion urging to transform the Cancer Control Programme under the Federal Ministry of Health into an agency.

    “I am also working on the Bill for the establishment of this Agency and the minister has agreed to give me his input.

    “Immediately after our budget sessions, I will present the bill for the establishment of the National Cancer Control Agency to the House of Representatives.

    “I believe that bill will receive the attention it required, given the interest of the members in addressing the menace of cancer in Nigeria,’’ he said.

    Dr Ramatu Hassan, National Coordinator, Cancer Control Programme, Federal Ministry of Health, said government would upgrade seven of the cancer treatment centres to centres of excellence.

    “The government will also go into Public Private Partnership (PPP) with some companies to increase the number of treatment centres to 14 within the next two years.

    “We will continue to increase more of the centres as the time goes-by, we will maintain training of medical personnel to ensure that the centres function well,’’ she said.

    According to her, the ultimate goal of this administration is to put 200 cancer treatment machines across the country for effective cancer control.

    “The journey has started, we have some machines, and we are aspiring to acquire more within the next two years.

    “As at today, we have just one cancer treatment machine that is working at Usmanu Danfodio University Teaching Hospital in Sokoto, Sokoto State.

    “Efforts are going-on to repair one of the machines at the National Hospital, Abuja, because their machine had recently broken down.

    “The cancer treatment machine at Benin had also stopped working recently; we are also going to repair it soon,’’ said the coordinator.

    Mr Runcie Chidebe, Executive Director, Pink and Blue; Young People against Cancer, an NGO, said we have been commemorating world cancer day in collaboration with the federal ministry of health.

    He lamented the acute shortage of facilities for the management of cancer, adding that there is a lot deficit in cancer control, diagnosis and treatment.

    Chidebe said the NGO’s collaboration with the federal ministry of health and other partners would commence a navigation programme aimed at referring people appropriately.

    “The great challenge for people suffering from cancer in Nigeria is that many people who have cancer do not know the right place to go to access treatment,’’ he said.

  • Battle against cancer winnable, say experts

    Battle against cancer winnable, say experts

    Experts  have said cancer is beatable. They say the scourge – and by extension its attendant psychological, financial and emotional losses- can be curbed through early detection, avoidance of lifestyles that promote it, such as smoking, exposure to industrial chemicals, consumption of excess fat and heavy use of alcohol, healthy sexual behaviours, and pursuing a lifestyle or diet that modifies cancer-causing factors.

    A renowned gynaecologist and Medical Director, Medical ART Centre, Lagos, Prof. Oladapo Ashiru, said: “As soon as you attain the age of 40, you should go for a comprehensive medical examination. As from 50 and above, women should be undergoing procedures like a mammogram, ultrasound scan and blood evaluation.”

    Associate Professor and Consultant Obstetrician Gynecologist at the Oncology Pathological Studies Unit, College of Medicine (CMUL), Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Dr. Rose Anorlu, advised thus: “Don’t wait until you have symptoms before going for routine checks yearly for breast cancer, cervical cancer, including pap smear and ultrasound scan. Post- menopausal women in particular should go for routine self-breast examination, a mammogram test and a pelvic ultrasound scan to check the ovaries.”

    A consultant pathologist, Head, Department of Histopathology, National Hospital, Abuja, Dr. Paul Jubrin, spoke of the need to evenly distribute cancer diagnosis and treatment facilities.

    He said: “The facilities for the treatment of cancer in Nigeria are actually up-to-date. But the problem is that they are not well-distributed. Cancer radiotherapy, one of the latest treatments of cancer, is only in Lagos, Abuja, Ibadan and Zaria.”

    Wife of the Lagos State Governor Mrs Bolanle Ambode, called for a united action against the disease.

    In her goodwill message to mark the 2016 World Cancer Day, organised by Sebeccly Cancer Care to raise public awareness, she said: “Let’s unite to fight cancer,” echoing the theme: “We can. I can.”

    In a short remark after she was presented with the Guinness World Record Human Ribbon Canvass and Banner, by Sebeccly, Mrs. Ambode noted that although cancer had been a threat to the world, claiming more than eight million lives annually, all hope was not lost. She said: “We can, I can is a universal call to all and sundry, especially governments and organisations to make the fight a priority at the highest level.

    She advised members of the public to engage in physical activities and to do regular screening for early detection, saying doing so would aid outright cure and enhance easier management of diagnosed cases.

    In her remarks, a board member of Sebeccly Cancer Care, Mrs. Omojole Adetoro, said many cancer patients had been assisted to full recovery since the organisation’s establishment. She identified funding as a major challenge.

    Mrs. Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, a breast cancer survivor and President, Breast Cancer Association of Nigeria (BRECAN), believes early detection and treatment can help save victims and their loved ones from the pangs of cancer.

    Skye Bank’s Managing Director Timothy Oguntayo called on corporate organisations to join in the fight against cancer by supporting various programmes and initiatives by NGOs and the government to reduce the cancer scourge and mortality rate in our society.

    The bank chief pledged that the bank would continue to support worthy social causes in the health sector to improve the wellbeing and healthcare of Nigerians. A healthy nation is a wealthy nation, he stated.

  • Oncologist advocates free cancer treatment in Nigeria

    Oncologist advocates free cancer treatment in Nigeria

    The head of Oncology Department of the University of Port Harcourt, Dr. Rawlings Jamabo, has appealed to the Federal and state governments to provide free cancer treatment for patients in Nigeria, as a measure to reduce the high rate of cancer related deaths in the country.

    Jamabo, made the appeal while addressing newsmen in Port Harcourt on the forth-coming World Cancer Day, February 4.

    He said the call/appeal has become necessary following the increasing cases of the ailment in the country, followed by its high cost of treatment, which according to him is beyond the financial capacity of Nigerians.

    The coordinator of Cancer Therapy in the University however blamed the rising cases and death toll of victims of the disease in the country on the ability of patients to report early in hospitals apparently for lack of money.

    He noted that patients of the disease would report early for treatment, should they realise that the treatment is free as is done in developed countries of the World.

    Jamabo said, “Generally, cancer patients don’t take us serious and as such they do not present themselves early on time for treatment. These are the things we want to guide against.

    “Abroad, the government bears the cost of cancer treatment because it is very expensive.

    Regrettably, in Nigeria, the patients are left to pay huge sums of money. But I believe that the treatment of cancer will be less for us if the government gets fully involved”.

    “The willingness of governments in Nigeria to take over the financial cost of cancer treatment will reduce the rate of patients lost to cancer. The cost of cancer treatment is huge and most individuals cannot bear the cost of treatment without getting financial support from the government.

    “The earlier the Federal and state governments adopt a health policy of free-cancer treatment for cancer patients the better for our health system. Cancer patients, knowing that government will be responsible for the cost of their treatment will not hesitate to approach oncologists for treatment and the management of their condition,” he insisted.