THG: 3 deadly types of cancers killing Nigerian women every day

– Cancers are one of the commonest non-communicable diseases killing millions of people every year

– Some prominent Nigerian women like former first lady of Nigeria and the late wife of military president Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, Maryam as well as the former first lady of Edo state and the late wife of current governor Adams Oshiomhole, all died as a result of cancer

– There are deadly types of cancers which grow into huge tumour, killing the victim gradually

Just as eating sugary foods is a precursor to many life threatening diseases, so also some foods help trigger the coming up of cancers.

It means an individual can not just eat what he feels like eating, if that food is detrimental to his health.

Women therefore, should know some of the things that make them come up with the three major types of cancers, which sniff out their dear lives daily.

1. Breast cancer

Breast cancer occurs when there is an abnormal proliferation of cells in the tissue of a woman’s breast. Some breast cancers take a long time before they become revealed, while others do not.

Women are always advised to practise Breast Self-Examination (BSE) in front of a standing mirror regularly. In case, they notice any lump in either or both breasts, they should report it to the doctor.

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2. Cervical cancer

Human Papiloma Virus (HPV) is majorly responsible for this type of virus.

HPV is so common that nearly all sexually active men and women get it at some point in their lives. There are many different types of HPV. Some types can cause health problems including genital warts and cancers.

The easiest way to prevent cervical cancer in females is to ensure the baby girl gets the HPV vaccination a few weeks after delivery.

3. Ovarian cancer

The danger of this type of cancer is that it blocks the activities of the ovary from producing normal eggs, in which the sperm would fertilise to become a zygote. Also, a woman who has ovarian cancer, in extreme cases, could have her ovary damaged, thereby making the issue of conceiving a foetus a major headache.

In a research carried out by Olufemi Ogunbiyi and some other scientists, they discovered that cancer has become a major source of morbidity and mortality globally.

Despite the threat that cancer poses to public health in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), few countries in this region have data on cancer incidence.

In their findings, the researchers presented estimates of cancer incidence in Nigeria based on data from 2 population-based cancer registries (PBCR), that were part of the Nigerian national cancer registry program.

They analysed data from 2 population based cancer registries in Nigeria, the Ibadan Population Based Cancer Registry (IBCR) and the Abuja Population Based Cancer Registry (ABCR) covering a two year period, that is 2009 to 2010.

Data were reported by registry, gender and in age groups. They presented data on the age specific incidence rates of all invasive cancers  of the most common cancers stratified by gender in both registries.

In ABCR, it was 138.6 per 100000 for women. A total of 3393 cancer cases were reported by the IBCR. Of these cases, 66% (2238) were in females alone.

In Abuja over the same period, 1128 invasive cancers were reported, with 66.4% (768) in females.

Breast and cervical cancer were the commonest cancers among women. Cervical cancer ASR at the IBCR was 36.0 per 100000 and 30.3 per 100000 at the ABCR.

The observed differences in incidence rates of breast and cervical cancers between Ibadan and Abuja were not much. Cancer incidence data from two population based cancer registries in Nigeria suggests substantial increase in incidence of breast cancer in recent times.

Other things to know about cancers generally are that a person could inherit cancer cells from his or her parents, some foods trigger cancer, as well as lifestyle.

THG stands for Tuesday Health Guide

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