Chijioke Iremeka
PUNCH Media Foundation in collaboration with PUNCH Nigeria Limited, on Tuesday, joined the rest of the world to commemorate ‘World Breast Cancer Month’ by organising a breast cancer awareness programme.
This event was part of the global efforts to wage war against the deadly disease by reinforcing accurate, lifesaving information that can help to reduce the burden of the scourge.
Held at PUNCH’s corporate headquarters in Magboro, Ogun State, the event, which featured a free medical screening for all participants, was preceded by a health awareness webinar that boasted of speakers, who are renowned cancer specialists.
A replica of the screening exercise was also held in Abuja for staff, while the virtual event (webinar) was well attended by all staff across the country.
Speaking on breast cancer, a Professor of Radiology at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu Campus, Ifeoma Okoye, said the early stages of breast cancer is asymptomatic, which is regular breast examination is important to detect the lesions at a stage when they are still treatable and curable.
Okoye, who is also the Director of the University of Nigeria Nsukka Centre for Clinical Trials, said symptoms such as breast lump or hard lumps under the armpit with uneven edges may be detected by simple breast examination, saying that the goal of regular screening is to nip the disease in the bud.
She noted that health and human rights are intrinsically linked and that human health cannot be improved if the rights are not upheld.
The professor stressed that human rights cannot also be realised without the pre-conditions of good health, insisting that winning the war against breast cancer in Nigeria starts with the implementation of the Universal Health Coverage.
She stated that the introduction and implementation of essential health policies such as prioritising preventive health and identifying priorities for action can reduce late presentation, financial burden and mortality of breast and cervical cancers
“Cancer is not only a global health challenge but also a stark reminder of the disparities that persist in healthcare delivery. In high-income countries, oncology clinical trials have been instrumental in the driving process and innovation,” Okoye added.
She noted that about 350, 000 to 500, 000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in Nigeria annually, and about 83 to 87 per cent of them present at the late stages when nothing can be done to help, thereby, increasing the death rate by 70 per cent.
Okoye lamented that one in every 25 women dies of breast cancer in Nigeria, saying, “The five-year breast cancer survival rate in Nigeria is less than 40 per cent compared to 86 per cent in the USA. This fortified the narrative that breast cancer is a death sentence and continues to make it difficult to convince our populace otherwise.”
She lamented that low-income countries in Africa are lagging in cancer treatment and management, and facing barriers such as limited access to cutting-edge therapies, insufficient structures and shortages in skilled medical personnel.
According to her, the causes of breast cancer are unknown, which is the reason people are advised to get screened to detect cancer early.
“Early detection of breast cancer and others is a key to survival. Mammography is the key breast imaging technique and cornerstone of screening. Its sensitivity of 70 to 90 per cent is higher than that of Clinical Breast Examination of 48 to 69 per cent. Mammography reduces the number of deaths from breast cancer for women ages 40 to 69, especially for those over age 50.
“Other screening adjuncts to mammography include ultrasonography, Magnetic Resonance Imaging Elastography, Breast-Specific Gamma Imaging, thermography (infrared mammography) and digital tomosynthesis,” she said.
Speaking on the risk factors, the professor explained that there are two types of risks – controllable and uncontrollable.
According to her, “Being a woman is a factor that can’t be controlled. Any woman can have breast cancer. The chance of a woman getting breast cancer in her lifetime is about one in eight. Early beginning of menstruation and late menopause are risk factors. Family or personal history of breast cancer are also risk factors.
“Also, genetic hereditary factors; intake of alcohol; smoking including inhaling smoke as a second smoker; living a sedentary lifestyle; radiation before puberty; breastfeeding less than 15 months; first pregnancy ending in abortion, obesity, wrong diet, among others, are all risk factors.”
Speaking on why the programme was held, the Assistant Manager, Human Capital, PUNCH Nigeria Limited, Mrs. Temitope Olusesan-Biala, explained that it was an avenue to deepen awareness of breast cancer, especially among men.
She said breast cancer is not gender-specific as men are also prone to the disease, hence the need for increased awareness.
Olusesan-Biala, however, thanked the guest speakers, cancer survivors, participants, management and board of PUNCH Nigeria Limited for the programme, noting that it impacted the lives of participants.
However, a PUNCH staff, Mrs. Melony Ishola, described the event as a success, noting that the breast examination carried out by health professionals was the highlight.
She said the event was timely and has made staff take better responsibility for their health.
Copyright PUNCHPUNC
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.
Contact: [email protected]
