Daily Independent (Lagos)
11 October 2008
interview
Dr. Abiodun Popoola is a consultant oncologist at the Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM), Ikeja. He said in this interview with Isioma Madike that cancer is curable if detected early. Excerpts:
What is cancer all about?
Cancer is an abnormal tissue mass, a growth of which is uncoordinated and uncontrollable even after the stimulus. That is, the thing that triggers the growth is removed. Cancer has some characteristics. It can spread to other parts of the body. It can do this either through the blood stream or through what we call empathic drainage or to the tissue around it.
What kinds of cancer are known in the medical circles?
Cancer is not just one disease but many diseases. There are several types. There are different kinds of cancer that affect parts of the body and they take their name from the part of the body that they affect. In Nigeria we have breast cancer, which is the commonest among females, followed by carcinoma of the cervix. But this also depends on the region where you are looking at it. Some part of the north would say cervical cancer is the commonest among women whereas the south and some other part of the north would insist breast cancer is. We also have colonic cancer, that is, cancer of the intestine. Another type is cancer of the stomach or gastric cancer. Then we have prostrate cancer. This is one of the commonest cancers in males, and we have also lung cancer, cancer of the soft tissue (sarcoma) and cancer of the bone.
Given your experience, which of these would you say is the most common in the country?
From my experience, in Nigeria now, cancer of the colon and prostrate cancer are the common cancer cases in men, while that of women remains breast cancer.
What could be responsible for the recent upsurge in cancer cases in the country?
Well, generally, it is thought that cancer of the colon is rare in Africa, but certain factors that we have noticed contribute to the cause of this. Increasing age (longevity) is a factor, which exposes aged people to certain factors that causes cancer of the colon. Again, change in diet could also expose one to this kind of disease. We were used to our traditional African diet, which comprises high fibre diet, the Amala, Eba and so on, which decreases transit time that food is going to take to get to the intestine thereby increasing the contact with which all those carcino agents, things that could lead to cancer would have contact with the intestine whereby you go to toilet every time. But we have now changed to refined or chemicalised foods that have additions of carcino agents, additive to make sweet and to make it smell fine and all that. Some of those things have property of carcino agents, which would also increase the risk of developing cancer. The other one is change in our lifestyle, which has relegated exercise to the background unlike the days of our fathers. You just find out now that you go to the office, move from there to your car and from there home. People don't exercise enough and there is accumulation of fat in the body, which can increase the risk of developing cancer.
There seems to be problems with the diagnosis of cancer in the country as was the testimony by some notable cases that were misdiagnosed. What would you say is responsible for wrong diagnosis?
Well, there is evidence that our people don't go to the right places and often fail to seek help at the right time. At times too, when they are told that this thing is wrong with them, some would say 'no, it can't be me.' They now start seeking spiritual help and before they know it, the case is worsened. For instance, in the case of breast cancer, when the lump is detected and you want to remove the lump and eventually it is diagnosed as breast cancer and you tell such a person that what is actually needed to save her life is to remove the whole breast, the woman may run from the hospital and delay until the thing is advanced, likewise the case of some other cancers. If people go to the right place and at the right time, proper investigation would be conducted. We have found cases where people go abroad and still have wrong diagnosis as well.
Do you believe that Nigeria has enough hands to deal with the various cancer cases in the country?
I would say yes because the issue is not lack of qualified personnel but the attitude of our people. Most people go to the right places at the wrong time, when their cases have matured and at that point anything could happen. When you find such situation you don't blame the doctors.
When is the right time for people to go for cancer screening?
Screening is a tool in detecting cancer at the early stage. People need to be going for medical checkup, for example, as soon a man is 40 years of age, it means he should be going to screen himself for especially prostrate antigen. And for casinoma of the cervix, which is for a woman that is sexually active, she needs to be going from the age of 18 to screen herself and do checkup at least once in a year. For breast cancer also, women have to be examined in what we call breast self-examination in which case you divide the breast into four parts and press the four areas. If you detect any form of lump, then you may need to see the doctor immediately.
Is cancer treatable?
Yes, it is treatable. If the patient presents himself early enough, you get good result. But by the time it is advanced, it can rarely be treated. At that stage it can only be managed. It is evident that people always think of cancer as a terminal disease. This is not always true. It is not usually a terminal disease if the patient like I said early is presented on time. And most of the screening does not cost anything. In some cases the cost is very minimal that most people can afford.
Where are the other screening centres located in the country apart from Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH)?
The screening centres are all over the place; University of Lagos Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, the University of Ibadan Teaching Hospital (UCH), in fact it's all over the country. Most teaching hospitals have the facility that people can access from time to time. I would advise people to always go for medical checkup periodically and also to live a life that is healthy. People should exercise regularly. Most importantly, once people notice any departure or dent, they should seek medical attention in good time. Like what the Lagos State Government is doing presently in screening especially women for breast cancer free of charge, I would advise that the Federal Government emulates such in order to help our people solve their medical puzzles.
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