Early diagnosis, panacea to cancer-Mrs. Akeredolu

By Mary Agidi
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. Early diagnosis and routine based population-level screening can significantly improve cancer outcomes and patients survival in Nigeria.

This was the submission of the wife of Ondo State Governor, Mrs. Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu at the Multidisciplinary Cancer Management Course, organized by the Society of Oncology and Cancer Research of Nigeria, (SOCRON), and American Society of Clinical Oncology, ASCO, in Lagos at the weekend.

According to Mrs. Akeredolu who is the Founder of Breast Cancer Association of Nigeria, (BRECAN), promoting early diagnosis of cervical and breast cancer among women will go a long way in achieving remarkable success in cancer care and control.

She also stressed the need to improve patient navigation at the health systems level, while lamenting that a sizable proportion of patients are lost to follow-up in the cancer care continuum as a result of the complexity and poor functioning of health system, especially as it relates to cancer care.

Mrs. Akeredolu disclosed that every single day in Nigeria, 39 women are diagnosed of cervical cancer, while 22 die on that same day, with breast cancer killing 36 women daily.

The BRECAN founder therefore called for critical evaluation of Nigerian health system and re-model it to ensure accessibility, affordability and quality in order to curb loss to follow-up.

According to her, there is also a need to actively engage religious leaders who in most cases are either the first point of call or the only point of call for women noticing breast cancer symptoms.

To achieve cancer care and control, both health providers and civil societies must consciously and conscientiously engage the governments to act more responsibly in ensuring the formulation and implementation of cancer care and control at their respective levels.

Given the low position breast and cervical cancer occupy on the ladder of health priorities in Nigeria, Mrs. Akeredolu called for relentless effort in advocating for government to make both forms of cancer a priority and create a budget with adequate funding for its control.