Regular Screening Can Boost Early Cancer Detection, Curb Needless Deaths –Experts

Regular Screening Can Boost Early Cancer Detection, Curb Needless Deaths –Experts

…as MeCure offers free screening to 1,000

To mark this year’s World Cancer Day, medical experts have raised the alarm over the gap in cancer care in the country, stating that without access to regular screening, it could hinder the early detection and diagnosis of many cancer cases as well as avert prompt treatment which could contribute to saving lives.

The Clinical Radiation Oncologist and Chief Medical Director of Me Cure Cancer Centre, Dr. Adeoluwa Adeniji lamented that majority of persons that develop cancers in this clime can’t access treatment due to current care gap because of their location or inadequate finances, adding that while some have access to care many others don’t have access to internationally accepted cancer care.

He, however, stressed that the thing to do is to ensure that everybody irrespective of their location gets the care they need. Also, the Chief Strategist for Me Cure Healthcare, Dr. Kunle Megbuwawon disclosed that Me Cure Cancer Centre is offering free cancer screening for 1,000 persons beginning from February 13, as part of strategy to help detect the disease early for better diagnosis and treatment.

“We are also offering Pap smear for cervical cancer, mammograms for breast cancer and prostate screening for prostate cancer,” he added. Both Dr. Adeniji and Dr. Megbuwawon spoke during the World Cancer Day walk organised by Me Cure Cancer Centre to raise awareness about rising cancers in the country and the plan of the company to assist close the existing care gap.

Globally, World Cancer Day is marked on February 4 but the walk took place on Saturday. The theme for this year’s World Cancer Day is to ‘Close The Care Gap’. Speaking with journalists shortly after the walk, Adeniji, who noted that Nigerians should know that that cancer is curable and treatable if detected early. Adeniji said Me Cure has come up with programmes that will enable financial stability of cancer treatment in Nigeria, adding that: “Cancer is not a death sentence especially when it is detected early. People come around in Nigeria and Africa when cancer has taken over the entire body and at that point, even the best centres all over the world may not be able to cure it. “Once an average Nigerian is able to come for screening and it is detected early, it can be cured and that is what we are saying.

It doesn’t mean that once there is a diagnosis of cancer that is the end of the road; they need to see a specialist who will give them all the information they need about their diagnosis and the treatment.” Speaking on the cost of cancer screening at the centre, he said for a mammogram which is for breast cancer, it is not up to N20,000; they can do the screening for breast cancer. You can also see a doctor that will examine the breast every month once they are done with their menstrual period and their breasts are not too full. They can press it to check for any abnormality.

Adeniji said not less than 140,000 new cases of cancer are diagnosed in Nigeria annually and in a week about 50 new cases are diagnosed at the centre. He said the centre now has a PET CT scan which is the first in the whole of West Africa. “PET CT scan was approved for use in the United States (U.S.) about 20 years ago and we are just getting it in West Africa. Another thing that is new is that the awareness is increasing so people get to do the examination at home, even when they are in school. We now have a form of affordabil-ity; people can have their treatments without breaking their banks, and that’s for cancer centres in Nigeria.

Globally, we are having new technologies, new innovative drugs coming up and new findings coming up.” According to MeCure Cancer Centre’s, Cyclotron & PET – CT Manager, Forhad Hossain, PET-CT Scan was vital for cancer treatment because if cancer is not diagnosed well, the treatment will be faulty. He said the PET CT helps to scan and is helping them to detect small cancer in the body. Similarly, Megbuwawon said that the walk was designed to create awareness that cancer is no longer a death sentence and the cost of care was no longer a barrier.

“We looked at the fact that the cost of cancer is very expensive, so we came up with strategies and plans to make it more affordable to common Nigerians. He said with N200, 000 a Nigerian diagnosed with cancer can get themselves treated. “We are using more people to support people that have cancer and we are using the money for them. We are saying that people should not be dying of cancer anymore. We are preventing cancer at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels; we are preventiondriven and treatment driven. “We are a world class cancer center and the only cancer center in the whole of west Africa with a modern diagnostic tool, PET CT scan. We are up to the task. We have professionals and we have everything to guide them. We don’t want this centre to be focused on only those that can afford it.”