The Surge of Cancer: Screening The Prevention

The Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs & Poverty Alleviation is advising women to screen for cervical and breast cancer in other to detect and treat symptoms and early signs of cancer.

This is following the menace caused by the rising cancer cases in the society.
The Commissioner, Women Affairs & Poverty Alleviation, Hon. Lola Akande, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mrs. Folashade Adesoye gave this advice during a cervical/ breast cancer screening exercise held in Red Cross Compound, Makoko, Lagos.

She said that “women should be concerned about their health and undergo the necessary test, not only cancer since there are other diseases that can render one useless, therefore they should cultivate the habit of checking themselves because once any disease is detected early it can readily be healed”.

“As we all know health is wealth and if you don’t take care of your health, it will waste your wealth” she added.

The screening which was free for 1000 women was organized by the ministry in collaboration with Sebeccly Cancer Care Foundation to celebrate their 10th year anniversary.

According to the Founder, Sebeccly Cancer Care, Dr. Omolola Salako, “about 400 women have been screened already and it has been discovered that about 10% are still ignorant about cancer screening which makes them walk away from screening which puts them at more risk.”

Salako said “despite counseling and understanding of the benefit of the screening, there is still an element of stigmatization where some are saying ‘what are you looking for when you don’t have any symptoms’, meanwhile, the essence of screening is to actually check a healthy population for signs that may be there but not symptomatic.”

She however urged every woman “to go for their screening because 30% of the cancer can be prevented and if we prevent things like cervical cancer we won’t have thousands of women looking for hospitals that provide radiotherapy; screening is cheaper than cure”.

Also corroborating this was the Vice Chairman, Nigeria Red Cross Society, Lagos State branch, Mrs. Adebola  Kolawole who said “people don’t really know the benefit of screening and they need to be  enlightened to embraced having checkup regularly because without which they cannot know when they are harboring illnesses or diseases.”
She
 therefore charged Nigerian women to do well to their health by going for regular medical checkups.