The Cancer threat
This year’s World Cancer Day on Tuesday, February 4, reminds us once again of the rising scourge of Cancer, a health disorder that decades ago, many Nigerians perceived to be a kind of ‘white man’s disease’ to which black men, were naturally immune. However, the now ubiquitous case of Cancer in our environment has proved that the ailment is not race bound.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Cancer cases are expected to surge 57 percent globally in the next 20 years, an imminent human disaster that will require a renewed focus on prevention to combat. It is projected that new Cancer cases will rise from an estimated 14 million annually in 2012 to 22 million within two decades. Over the same period, Cancer related deaths are predicted to rise from 8.2 million a year to 13 million.
In Nigeria, Cancer now ranks third on the list of Nigeria’s most prevalent killer diseases behind only malaria and HIV/AIDS, accounting for death of millions of Nigerians that include eminent personalities, according to Nigerian Medical Association (NMA)
Rising cases of Cancer which have taken a common place in the country has placed Nigerians on the edge with the current minimum wage of eighteen thousand Naira (N18, 000) unable to pay for the huge healthcare cost to manage such ailments
Investigations show that an individual would spend about N67, 000 for breast scan, Mammogram, Biopsy and other tests. An average surgery costs between N80, 00 and N150, 000 while chemotherapy cost ranges between N100, 000 to N500,000. Targeted therapy in the country is estimated to cost over N4 million, definitely a financial burden on many cancer patients and their caregivers.
As Cancer epidemic is fuelled by combination of risk factors such as exposure to increased environmental factors (use of generating sets), tobacco use, unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity and harmful alcohol use, socio-economic toll of Cancer has a huge public health concern, dominating healthcare expenditures in developed and developing countries, including Nigeria.
Cancer tends to occur when abnormal cells within any part of the human body continuously grow out of control. Many Cancer cases usually arise from risk factors such as tobacco use, unhealthy diet, harmful use of alcohol, physical inactivity, urban air pollution and indoor smoke from household use of solid fuels.
Complicating the already disturbing case of Cancer spread, is the dearth in healthcare infrastructure in Nigeria which makes access to required clinical treatment for Cancer patients difficult. While there is no comprehensive Cancer care facility presently in the country, only a few health centres have functioning radiotherapy equipment and the cost of care remains out of reach for most Nigerians who have received a Cancer diagnosis. Diagnosis is often based on clinical (bedside) assessment alone, reducing validity of Cancer registry data.
It is worrying that many Cancer sufferers are not captured by cancer registration. Follow up of Cancer cases recorded in registries to provide up-to-date information for each case has not been fully achieved. Moreso, limited availability of vital statistics (population data and death records) which complement Cancer registration present another challenge.
Besides this, reaching out to sources of data outside of the primary institutions where the registries are domiciled presents several challenges for Cancer registrars. Because Cancer registration is often not given sufficient priority, dedicated persons are not employed for this task. The registries are mostly staffed by workers who have other areas of expertise or interest.
No doubt, the rise of cancer globally is a major obstacle to human development and well-being. These new insightful data and projections send a strong signal that immediate action is needed to confront this human disaster, which touches every community worldwide.