Oncologist stresses need for cost-effective cancer prevention

Dr Victor Omoya, an Oncologist, National Hospital Abuja, has stressed the need for cost-effective cancer prevention measures to curtail the disease in the country.

He made the call in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja.

According to him, there are many cancer preventive measures that are both cost-effective and inexpensive which the country can implement.

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He said it was worrisome that cancer mortality in the country was largely due to late presentation of patients, adding that paucity of treatment facilities also remained a contributory factor.

Omoya added that prevention through early detection, treatment, palliative care and survivorship care would greatly help patients.

The oncologist noted that cancer prevention measures were essential components in the fight against the disease, stressing that awareness must be created to ensure that patients took advantage of such measures.

According to him, the measures include behavioural change and other activities to prevent or reduce exposure to risk factors associated with cancer.

He said, “early detection and treatment are very important to prevent millions of cancer deaths.”

He explained that the two components of early detection included; early diagnosis and screening, adding that “early diagnosis is the awareness by public health professionals about early signs and symptoms of cancer.

“Early detection will facilitate diagnosis before the disease becomes advanced.

“Screening is the application of test on asymptotic patients to detect those who are at increased risk of developing certain cancers so that they can be subjected to further evaluation or treatment to prevent it.”

He, therefore, called on the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders to ensure increased awareness on cancer and related ailments.