World Cancer Day is observed on the fourth of February every year with the aim to help save millions of preventable deaths each year by raising awareness about cancer and pressing to governments across the world to take action against the disease.
According to statistics cancer is second leading causes of death in the world.
Speaking on the dangers of cancer, the Executive Secretary Anambra State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Mrs. Chioma Ezenyimulu, while listing the types of cancer, explained that benign cancer is a tumor that can be removed or cured, while malignant cancer are harmful to patients and has different treatment modalities, and also curable.
Dr Mrs. Ezenyimulu, highlighted surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, among others as some of the treatments used to control growth of cancer.
She said that human papiloma vaccine is given to young girls from age of nine to start preventing cancer before onset of sexual activity as according to her prevention is key to cancer.
Dr Mrs. Ezenyimulu, advised the public to always visit a specialist, for early detection.
Also speaking the traditional ruler of Ifite-Dunu, Igwe Dr Chukwuemeka Ilouno, described cancer as an abnormal multiplication of cells in the body to a stage where it becomes uncontrollable, noting that commonest cancers in male are lung, prostate, colorectal cancers, while female counterpart are faced with breast, skin, cervical and stomach cancer.
He highlighted some infections like human papiloma virus, hepatitis B; prolong family planning and multiple sex partners and uncircumcised males as major causes of cancer.
A specialist, Pharmacist George Ezenwa, viewed cancer as a medical problem where an organ or tissue within the body is malfunctioning and can form in any part of the body, lamenting that the rate of cancer in Nigeria is quite alarming, enumerating tobacco, poor diet, lack of physical activity, excessive alcohol, certain infections and others as some of the risk factors of cancer.
The theme for 2019 World Cancer Day is ”I Am and I Will”, which portrays that everybody has
a part to play in the prevention and management of cancer to those affected either by providing funds or psychological encouragements because of the debilitating ailment.
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