NGO LEADS FIGHT AGAINST PROSTATE CANCER IN KADUNA STATE

"The awareness drive by the Hope for the Village Child Foundation on Prostate Cancer became necessary as cancer was becoming a greater challenge  to people’s health in Nigeria as it was not so evident in the past".... Sis. Rita Schwazenberger. 

“Cancer, to a greater extent cannot be said to be caused by a particular thing however, there are a lot of factors that play and interplay to predispose an individual to the development of cancer”... Dr. Biya Cephas.



With the global fight against the continued spread of Prostate Cancer, one of the leading killer ailments in the world today, a Non-Governmental Organization, has taken the lead in propagating the education of residents in Kaduna state, Northwest Nigeria, on how to fight the deadly scourge, including its early detection and treatment.

Hope for the Village Child Foundation, HVC, in keeping with its objectives, has assumed the lead in creating quality enlightenment and sensitization of residents in its locality of Chukun Local Government of Kaduna state and its environs.

This is coming on the heels of the annual commemoration of the World Cancer Day, which is celebrated every 4th of February and in doing so, HVCF organized a sensitization and awareness campaign on "Prostate Cancer: Its Early Detection and Treatment".

With the theme; "I Am & Will Fight Cancer" medical professionals with sound knowledge on the ailment provided participants with tips on how to identify the signs; early detection and its treatment.

With participants drawn from surrounding communities, the sensitization and enlightenment session witnessed many receiving on-the-spot of their prostate in order to ascertain their health status for further counseling and also, how to undergo treatment.

HVCF, which is a community based organization, has a community health centre that caters for the health needs of women and children. It also, provides several other needs such as educational materials and teaching staff, water needs of some of the far-flung communities with challenges of assessing portable drinking water and a host of other demands/request of such localities.

Speaking with one of the medical doctors present at the sensitization exercise organized by Hope for the Village Child Foundation, Dr. Biya Cephas disclosed that the idea was to create the right awareness and also sensitize residents especially men, on how to identify the symptoms of Prostate Cancer including its treatment.

According to Dr. Cephas, Cancer is usually, the abnormality that usually occurs in the growth of cells that makes up the human body and it can actually affect any kind of cells in the body that forms an organ.

He stated that any kind of cell can be affected by an abnormal growth especially if it is not been checked and the cells now begin to produce more than is expected and this is where this abnormality called cancer, occurs. It can actually affect almost all cells in the body and it can then affect the organ that the cells have affected.

“In men, most commonly, the prostate which is what we are going to be talking about today in this meeting, the prostate cancer has actually been a concern in men generally”, he disclosed.

“The prostate organ is particularly found in men and located somewhere around the productive organ. Once the cells in this particular organ results in abnormal growth, it results in Prostate Cancer”, the medical practitioner further revealed.

Speaking on the type of cancer that is common with women, Dr. Cephas disclosed that, for women however, the most common is the Cervical Cancer that affects the Cervix in the women.

“To a large extent, the breast too can actually be affected, which is commonly referred to as the “Breast Cancer”, he said.

“Cancer, to a greater extent cannot be said to be caused by a particular thing however, there are a lot of factors that play and interplay to predispose an individual to the development of cancer”.

“For example, genetics; genetics in the sense that, it is a particular gene that runs in a family that predisposes an individual to cancer” he stressed.

“It gives the tendency for one to develop it. For instance, if somebody’s father dies of cancer, the chances that his child develops cancer later in his life, is higher than when you compare it to somebody whose mother is free of it”.

“However, some other things can also put somebody at risk. This can be due to the kind of exposure we have environmentally. Exposure to radiation have exposed individuals to certain kinds of cancer and to an extent, life style modification can predispose an individual to cancer. An example is; smokers who indulge in this habit for a very long time, is exposed to cancer of the lungs”.

“For the cervical cancer that is very common in women, it has been shown that a particular organism predisposes individuals or women, to this particular cancer virus and it is called the Human Papiloma Virus. This virus is transmutable through sexual intercourse with somebody that affected by a male that has been affected by the virus because, clinically, it does not manifest in men. Women have the risk of developing this cervix cancer and this is one of the cancer that has been shown to have a particular cause which is infectious and that is called the Human Papiloma Virus”.

Talking on ways to prevent or treat cancer, Dr. Biya revealed that, “it is suffice to say that at the moment, there is no proof to show that cancer is curable once an individual is infected. However, there are a lot of things that can be done to prevent the occurrence of cancer should one come down with the infection, certain things can be done to manage the patient, to give the patient a better life pending the outcome of this particular cancer”.

According to him, “early detection is the key to this particular cancer. If detected early, the patient or individual can live their life. If the cancer is as a result life style modification, there is the need to avoid such so as not to put at risk at developing the cancer”, he advised.

“Take for example, the prostate cancer to a greater extent has no specific cause but then, genetics can predispose an individual to it. If it is as result of genetics, there is not much to do. It is a non-modifiable factor but, continuous checks of the prostate organ to ensure that it is intact and that there is no ongoing activity with that particular organ. This can be done by visiting the hospital/doctor regularly for checks; a direct rectal examination to check the size and texture of the organ. That is one way to avoid the disease, as it does not usually present its symptoms. Before one starts seeing manifestation of these symptoms, probably it would have gone advanced. Therefore, it is very important that we do these routine checks”.

“Again, one can have screening tests conducted with the blood sample taken and then the Prostate Specific Antigen, PSA, is usually, in suspected cases, is tested for and if it is within the normal range, much would have been done to avoid the occurrence of the disease”.

“The Prostate Cancer is not infectious and therefore, not transmissible from one individual to another. Prostate Cancer can actually be acquired through genetics like the one I earlier stated; the genetic predisposition. In addition, this is a factor. Aging too is a non-modifiable factor, as one cannot decide if he wants to grow old or not. Therefore, the process of aging predisposes individuals to the development of cancer, generally, including the Prostate Cancer where the body’s ability to check growth of cells is being declined because of age as this is another factor that predisposes. So it is important that as we are aging, to go for routine checks  in order to ensure that these organs are functioning properly and in the case of any abnormality, it is handled early before they manifest with devastating effects or consequences”.

“On how the cervical cancer, which is communicable from the male partner and how it can be prevented, we must be mindful as it not treatable once it has been established. However, before the main cancer is established, which is what we call the Pre-cancerous state, if it detected on time, the effects or full manifestation; that is the full-grown cancer, would not actually happen. This detection can be achieved through screening of any woman that is sexually active and by this, I mean not too often but regularly.  Reason is, once one is able to identify or pick out this abnormality, one will be able to prevent this full-blown cancer in women before it manifests but once the Casinoma or the cancer has been established, like I said, there is no known cure of cancer at the moment but, it can be prevented. There is the Papiloma Smear Test (PAP SMEAR TEST) that is usually, carried out in a hospital, he stressed.

In her address, Administrator of the Hope for Village Child Foundation, Mrs. Elizabeth Hassan disclosed that the centre took the decision to carry out the sensitization programme following cases of later stage of Prostate Cancer.

According to her, “when it is at this stage, there is little or nothing that can be done for such patients and the centre therefore, felt if there is adequate  awareness, the process of screening will lead to it been detected early and some measures can be taken that would promote longevity and good health for that individual. In addition, it helps the individual to be aware of his status and be able to safeguard himself”, she stated.

“This action prompted us to create a programme whereby, men would be educated. Some of the cases are because of ignorance while others will simply attribute it to spiritual attacks (witchcraft) whereas, it is something that is preventable and curtailed at its early stage. It is a rare opportunity for these people in the communities to have a programme like this but sadly, men with their ideology are slow to come out for this programme”.

She stated that it is better you know your status as it will help guide and, in case of any signs or symptoms, we have referral centres where further investigations would be conducted and some of these referral centres are government owned hospitals and facilities where the costs are affordable. For your information, this administration has a programme for old aged persons and if they are lucky, further investigations are done, free of charge.

Director of the Centre, Sister Rita Schwarzenberger while speaking with Naij News Alert, at the sidelines of the awareness drive on Prostate Cancer, stated that cancer was becoming a greater challenge  to people’s health in Nigeria as it was not so evident in the past. We read newspaper articles and meet with people who have cancer and who are severely affected and, this affects women as well as the men.

“We have had cancer screening for the women and in so doing, we felt there was the need to do something for the men because, prostate cancer in men can be very serious and the men can lose their lives. Sometimes, the men do not even know that they have it. This screening will reveal if they have it or, the tendency to develop it and then, they can go for further treatment and prevent something that can be disastrous to their family losing the bread winner”, she stated.

The HVCF Director disclosed that awareness among the locals was done through letters to the various district heads and doctors were invited to speak to the men as most men would feel reluctant to tell women their problems. The screening exercise is very important because, the consequence of not detecting it early is very deadly and fatal. House to house sensitization cannot be possible because of the many communities around. The financial implications of such an exercise would be huge and we do not have the funds.

“To create such awareness, we tend to use churches and mosques or, a place where we know people meet in order to create such an awareness”, she said.