New Telegraph

Fighting Cancer By All Means

The 2025 World Cancer Day was universally commemorated on 4th February by all Member States of the United Nation (UN) being yesterday.

The reality of the presence of cancer as a disease is no longer a topic of debate, owing to its ongoing prevalence among mankind.

Cancer could best be described as a monster that has come to devour mankind without any iota of mercy.

It’s obvious, though arguable, that cancer has boldly taken a front seat in man’s daily chances of survival, particularly across the shores of Nigeria. This has made many individuals apparently become unsure of what tomorrow holds.

Each year, the World Health Organization (WHO) in collaboration with the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) supports Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) to promote ways to ease the global burden of cancer.

The annual World Cancer Day was formally adopted in Geneva, Switzerland by the UN General Assembly in the year 1933 through the remarkable efforts of the UICC and other world’s prominent cancer societies, in order to support the goals of the World Cancer Declaration.

The primary aim of the Day is to significantly reduce illnesses and death caused by cancer via raising of awareness on cancer and encouraging its prevention, detection, and treatment.

Cancer, also known as malignant tumor or malignant neoplasm, is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the tendency of invading or spreading to other parts of the body.

Possible signs and symptoms of cancer include a new lump, prolonged cough, abnormal bleeding, unexplained weight loss, and a change in bowel movements, among others.

While these symptoms may indicate the occurrence of cancer, it’s equally worth noting that they may occur due to other medical issues.

Cancer, which can occur in over one hundred different ways in the human body, is mainly caused by either uncalled practices or dietary risks, such as tobacco smoking, incessant intake of alcoholic drinks, obesity, low fruit and vegetable consumptions, lack of physical activities, as well as certain infections like hepatitis B, hepatitis C, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, and human papillomavirus.

Some cases of cancer could also be as a result of genetic defects one inherited from his/her parents. Cancer can be detected by certain signs and symptoms or by screening tests.

The chance of survival solely depends on the type of cancer and the extent of the disease as at the time the treatment commenced

It is typically further investigated by medical imaging and confirmed by biopsy. Early detection through screening is useful for cervical and colorectal cancer.

Cancer, though a preventable disease, is indeed a human frightening and deadly medical condition that can occur in any essential organ in the body including stomach, lung, breast, kidney, liver, heart, eye, nose, skin, cervical, bone, and brain, just to mention but a few.

Many cancerous growths can be prevented by not indulging in smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, not drinking too much alcohol, eating plenty of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, being vaccinated against certain infectious diseases, not eating too much red meat, coupled with avoidance of regular exposure to sunlight and urban air pollution. It’s noteworthy that cancer is curable.

It is usually treated with chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgery, or targeted therapy; or sometimes, a combination of all. In a typical cancer treatment, pain and symptom management are an important and basic part of care.

Palliative care is particularly recommended for patients suffering from advanced cancer condition.

The chance of survival solely depends on the type of cancer and the extent of the disease as at the time the treatment commenced.

In children under the age of fifteen, at diagnosis, the ‘fiveyear survival rate’ in the developed world is on the average eighty percent (80%).

In 2012 alone, about 14.1 million new cases of cancer occurred globally, not including skin cancer. Statistics show that, the outbreak caused about 8.2 million deaths or 14.6% of all human deaths in the aforementioned year.

This implies that, in near future if adequate care is not taken, cancer cases might be responsible to over twenty per cent (20%) of death rate in the world.

The risk of cancer increases significantly in regard to the age of the potential sufferer, and several cancers occur more often in developed countries.

Unequivocally, cancer rate increases on a daily basis as more people live to an old age and as lifestyle changes are regularly witnessed in the developing world.

At a critical time like this when cancer is ravaging the entire Nigerian society and beyond, there is an urgent need for everyone to detest any form of uncalled or unhealthy lifestyle such as tobacco smoking, intake of hard drugs like cocaine, regular consumption of alcoholic drinks and what have you, that could jeopardize his/her precious life.

In the same vein, there’s need for us to be extremely mindful of whatever we eat or drink at all times.

We should also not forget that adequate and instant treatment of any illness or infection we noticed in our body remains one of the major avenues of embracing a cancer-free society.

Those suffering from the disease ought to continually and strictly adhere to their treatment procedures and should endeavour to consult their physicians when necessary.

They should as well ensure that they are placed on proper dietary like regular consumption of vegetables and fruits.

In addition, we are expected to comprehend the fact that early detection of cancer enables adequate eradication of the disease from the sufferer’s system.

Thus, there is need for us, irrespective of age, to go for constant cancer testing or screening.

The fact remains that the rate of curing a cancer scourge, or the fate of the carrier, depends solely on how fast he/she was able to ascertain that he is living with the disease.

Hence, early detection is key towards its elimination from the body of the patient.

However, It has become obvious that cancer – ranging from its diagnosis, detection, control to outright cure – depends majorly on the kind of tech-driven facilities available at the designated centres coupled with the level of experience of the physicians handling the case.

In view of the above, governments at all levels are required to take setting up of well-equipped cancer centres very seriously and as a priority in their various policy measures, considering the fact that no one is exempted when issues concerning cancer are raised.

More so, taking into cognizance that maintenance culture has conspicuously been relegated to the background in our present days’ society, apt authorities such as the health ministries and relevant agencies must ensure that these facilities domiciled in their respective jurisdictions are adequately sustained by engaging reliable monitoring team on a routine check at the affected hospitals.

Similarly, aside involving qualified health personnel to pilot the affairs of the equipped cancer centres, tested and trusted tech experts in the medical field ought to be contracted or employed to man the day-to-day operations and maintenance of the available machines.

All in all, health practitioners and stakeholders across the federation, are expected to at all cost, strengthen their crusade targeted to educate the entire public on the dangers and possible causes of cancer, so that, we shall all live to celebrate a cancerfree world as it is widely anticipated by the global society.

Most importantly, prevention is no doubt, far better than cure. Hence, this must be our watchword at all times. Think about it!

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