Oncologist lists steps to prevent cancer

An Abuja based Oncologist, Dr Elizabeth Mayowa, has advised Nigerians to embrace early and regular cancer screening and testing to curb increasing cases of cancer related deaths.
Mayowa gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Thursday in Abuja.
She said the fact that cancer was responsible for many deaths in the country, the disease was not a death sentence as early detection and treatment was a key to survival.
She said: “Cancer is treatable and can be managed if detected early.
“Cigarette smoking, excessive drinking, excessive exposure to rays, radiation are risk factors to cancer diseases.
“Third degree relation who has died of cancer or has had it is also a factor to look out for.’’
Mayowa also advised women to always do self-breast examination as a primary preventive measure and to take the vaccine to prevent cervical cancer.
According to her, when a man is over 40 years of age, he should go for prostate cancer screening and testing.
Mayowa said that chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery were some of the ways of caring for cancer patients.
She said government must begin to take care of her citizens by paying for some of the bills for healthcare like cancer treatment and other expensive treatments.
She said: “A lot of cancer patients have died due to inability to pay hospital bills, so they prefer to go home and await faith, but if the Federal Government through NHIS can pay for some of this treatment, a lot of lives will be saved.
“Provision of free screening facility is another way of combating cancer.’’
Mayowa noted that there were many ways the federal and state government can support the fight against cancer in the country.
She said that about 60 per cent of cancers affected mostly women which included breast and cervical cancer.