Breast, cervical cancers need not kill you

May 15, 2014 by Solaade Ayo-Aderele

   

 

womeningovernment.org
| credits: womeningovernment.org

Breast and cervical cancers afflict women for one reason: because they are women! While experts agree that men sometimes develop breast cancer, they also say the ratio is 1:100. In other words, says Professor of Oncology and Head of Radiotherapy Unit at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, Prof. Remi Ajekigbe, before you see a man with breast cancer, you would have seen 100 women with the disease.

As for cervical cancer, men don’t have cervix, so it’s basically a woman’s issue.

Breast cancer scary statistics

The statistics for both cancers are scary. Physicians say breast cancer is not just the most common cancer in women worldwide, it is also the principal cause of death from cancer among women globally.

The normal human being wants to live to old age, but then, old age has its challenges, especially when it has to do with diseases. In the case of breast cancer, the risk increases as people age, and lifetime risk changes depend on a person’s age. That’s why scientists warn that if everyone lived beyond the age of 70, one in eight of those women would get or have had breast cancer! This statistic is based on everyone in the population living beyond the age of 70.

Again, the World Health Organisation’s 2013 Global Health Estimates note that worldwide, over 508,000 women died in 2011 due to breast cancer alone. And although breast cancer is thought to be a disease of the developed world, “almost 50 per cent of breast cancer cases and 58 per cent of deaths occur in less developed countries,” WHO adds.

Not to worry though, scientists say the chance that breast cancer will be responsible for your death is about three per cent if you have access to sound health care. “Part of this is by being educated about breast cancer symptoms, knowing your risk and getting screened regularly,” the scientists assure.

Ajekigbe warns that the first sign of breast cancer, often, is a breast lump or an abnormal mammogram. And the stages range from early, curable breast cancer to metastatic breast cancer. “So, the earlier a person presents, the higher the hope of survival,” he counsels.

Cervical cancer’s hair-raising figures

The WHO estimates that cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women, with an estimated 530,000 new cases every year. Again, it says, every year, more than 270,000 women die from cervical cancer — with more than 85 per cent of these deaths happening in low- and middle-income countries.

As frightening as it is, experts say cervical cancer is caused by sexually-acquired infection with certain types of human papillomavirus — a group of viruses that are extremely common worldwide.

Ajekigbe says there are more than 100 types of HPV, of which at least 13 are cancer-causing.

Researchers warn that HPV is mainly transmitted through sexual contact and that most people are infected with HPV shortly after the onset of sexual activity. It is one reason why a general physician, Dr. Akinolu Oluwadara, advises that since this cancer is absolutely vaccine-preventable, girl-children should be vaccinated from age 10 (before they are sexually active); while sexually-active women who test negative to HPV should also obtain the vaccine.

Leah to the rescue

One of the non-governmental organisations that have taken up the challenge of helping women in either preventing these cancers or getting treatment if it happens is the Leah Charity Foundation, founded by the wife of the Kwara State governor, Mrs. Omolewa Ahmed.

Leah’s Chief Operations Officer, Mrs. Bukola Akinleye, says within seven months of the foundation’s inuaguration, more than 5,000 women have presented in its four centres for screening.

Akinleye says so far, 10 of the 16 local government areas in the state have been fully sensitised about the need for women to be aware of how to prevent these cancers; while they have access to four centres distributed across the state.

“These centres are at Leah Cancer Centre, GRA, Ilorin; Sobi Specialist Hospital, Adewole Cottage Hospital and Children Specialist Hospital, Ilorin. Women get checked for a token of N200,” Akinleye adds.

In addition to breast and cervical screenings, the ultra modern Leah Cancer Centre also performs colposcopy (using a special magnifying device to look at the vulva, vagina, and cervix), electrolyte, creatinine (a test that measures kidney function) and urea tests

Ahmed notes that wherever there’s limited resource settings with weak health systems, breast cancer incidence may go undiagnosed, and the majority of women may end up being diagnosed in late stages.

“Breast cancer survival rate is 80 per cent or over in North America, Sweden and Japan; and it is around 60 per cent in middle-income countries.

“Sad to say, survival rate is below 40 per cent in low-income countries mainly because of the lack of early detection programmes, resulting in a high proportion of women presenting with late-stage disease, as well as by the lack of adequate diagnosis and treatment facilities.

“Early detection in order to improve breast and cervical cancers’ outcome and survival remains the cornerstone of cancer control. That is why we have embarked on the implementation of early diagnosis programmes based on awareness of early signs and symptoms and prompt referral to diagnosis and treatment,” she informs.

She also advises parents to look after their girl-children, ensure they attend school and avoid early sex or multiple sexual partners, all of which predisposes young girls to cervical cancer.

As for her motivation for the project, Ahmed says private individuals and members of the Kwara State chapter of the Medical Women Association encouraged her to do something about the health issue among women in the state.

She adds that losing two people “who are very dear to me” to the disease all combined to make her determine to help.

The foundation’s activities have not gone unnoticed. The president, Federation of International Women Lawyers, Kwara State Chapter, Mrs. Oluronke Adeyemi, says the stress of travelling to other states to access specialised health facilities has been reduced by the Leah Cancer Centre, urging individuals and groups to seize the opportunity to avail themselves of the opportunity to get screened and access other laboratory services as necessary.