Cosmetics, Abortion Trigger Cancer – Experts

With more women being diagnosed of
breast cancer disease, oncologists,
who specialise in the treatment of
tumour and cancer, acknowledged
the danger to women, stressing that
young women are becoming victims
of breast cancer due to ignorance,
abortion, exposure to cosmetics,
consumption of dangerous chemicals
in junk food and unhealthy lifestyle.
With the percentage of
cancer patients now on
the high, the specialists
in the field opined that
poverty, high cost of
treatment, lack of medical facilities and
personnel are making matter worse for
victims, calling on the government to
acquire modern medical facilities for its
hospitals and to subsidise the cost of
treatment of the disease.
Head, Oncology and Radiotherapy
Department, Lagos University Teaching
Hospital, Prof. Remi Ajekigbe, said breast
cancer is on the increase due to lack of
awareness about the disease among
women and poor diet.
"Awareness is a major factor responsible
for the increase in breast cancer cases.
A lot of women are not educated on the
disease, so even when the signs and
symptoms are present, they can hardly
notice them. Awareness campaign on
the disease will help early detection and
treatment," Ajekigbe said, adding that
population increase could be responsible
for the wide spread of the disease.
"Twenty years ago, Nigeria population's
was not what it is today; population
increase could increase the spread of
diseases including breast cancer.
"Increased population could affect the
social life of the people. The social factor
is crucial because we tend to imbibe a
number of habits that are detrimental to
our health. For instance, smoking and
poor diet are factors that have increased
the cases of breast cancer. We eat a lot
of chemicals, especially our younger
ones. Those processed junks are not
good for health. Its accumulation over a
period of time could lead to various
types of cancer. Cosmetics used to
enhance beauty also have concentrated
chemicals that could become cancerous
when they enter the body system. Skin
beauty products make women look good
and attractive but they could have
negative effect later in life. Perfumes
also could increase the risk as some of
them are also cancerous," Ajekigbe said.
The oncologist also explained that the
facilities available for the treatment of
the disease are not adequate, pointing
out that epileptic supply of electricity in
the country contribute to the high cost
of treatment of the disease.
Speaking further on the disease, Ajekigbe
said early detection reduced difficulties
experienced in its treatment.
"A lot of prominent people died of
breast cancer because it was'nt detected
at the advanced stage. Self breast
examination is the key to early detection
of the disease. Every woman should
understand the simple test to detect
cancer in the breasts," he advised.
Another cancer specialist at the Lagos
State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja,
Dr. Abiodun Popoola, said abortion in
the first three months of pregnancy
increased a woman's risk of having
breast cancer.
"Towards the end of the first trimester,
the hormone balance in the woman's
body changes, the oestrogen levels drop
and the levels of others rise.
Differentiation and maturation begins
and continues until the child is born.
"But when an abortion occurs at the
early stages, this process is suddenly cut
short and this greatly increases the risk
of that woman or lady having breast
cancer. Sadly, 90 per cent of abortions
are done at this stage. It however varies
in different women," he said.
When our correspondent visited some
breast cancer clinics in Lagos State,
patients narrated tales of pains and
frustration. Mrs. Kehinde Olabisi, who is
battling with the disease, told our
correspondent who was with her during
one of her chemotherapy sessions at the
Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja,
that she would have committed suicide
but for her husband support. Olabisi
who is in her early 40s said she was
diagnosed with the disease in 2011,
lamenting the loss of one of her breasts
and inability to function fully as a wife.
Olabisi said, "You do not want to imagine
the psychological trauma of living with
just one breast. A lot of women would
prefer to die with the cancer than to lose
a breast. But since losing a breast was
the only way to save my life, I had to
accept it. I have been battling with this
illness since 2011, I removed the lumps
first to delay cutting off the breast but it
did not work so they removed it three
months ago. I have not recovered from
the experience.
"Breast cancer is a dangerous disease
affecting women because it drains them
physically, financially, psychologically and
emotionally. You no longer feel good
about yourself it is like you have no self
worth anymore," a tearful Olabisi said.
Olabisi, who was in the hospital with her
husband, added that the doctors warned
that chemotherapy treatment after
surgery was crucial to full recovery.
"Chemotherapy is a difficult process that
involves endurance. It would scrape off
all the hair on the victim's body. After
my first experience, I woke up and saw
my hair falling off on the pillow. It took
away my appetite and I became allergic
to perfume. I had sores on my body and
this is how I feel every time. But I thank
God for my husband who has stood by
me. I could not have got this far without
him."
But the road to recovery has been a
demanding one. To pay the bill, Olabisi
and her husband sold a house and took
N4m bank loan to pay for treatment.
She said, "Victims of breast cancer need
love to pull through. They need people
around them all the time. Absence of
these factors could lead to death."
A survivor who spoke to our
correspondent on condition of anonymity
said the rate of survival could only be
improved upon if all women did constant
self-check, adding that she was saved
because she detected the lump early.
She said, "I was 54-year-old when I
discovered I had breast cancer. I was
having my bath when I noticed the lump.
I was not too sure what it was so I went
to a doctor and they told me it was
cancerous. That was the beginning of the
battle.
"I started treatment in a hospital in
Abeokuta and when it was beyond the
hospital's ability, I travelled to the
University College Hospital, Ibadan, Oyo
State, where doctors told me that what
saved me was early detection. It was an
eye opener in my home. Because of my
case, my sister and her sister in-law
went for screening and realised they had
lumps and they sought treatment
immediately, they all survived the deadly
disease. I advise all the women who are
suffering from breast cancer not to give
up. They should trust in God for their
treatment. The government should also
help by subsidising the cost of
treatment. It is too expensive."
Also, Mrs. Nimota Odukoya, another
breast cancer patient, said the cost of
treatment scared many victims.
She said, "Only victims with enough
financial strength to treat breast cancer
survive. If you have breast cancer and
you cannot pay for test, drugs or your
chemotherapy, then you may not
survive. It is the cost of treatment that
is leading to the death of many patients.
When you are told that you need
N500,000 to start treatment and you
have just N20,000, you have no option
than to go back home, especially if you
don't have property to sell.
"I have spent about N2 million treating
the disease . I pay N45,000 every three
weeks for chemotherapy, and N20,000
on drugs per week. A lot of women who
started treatment died along the way
because they could not afford the cost.
"Government should help sufferers by
subsidising the cost of cancer treatment.
Government is campaigning for women
to go for breast cancer screening in
hospitals, but when you actually have it,
the amount needed to treat it is
unaffordable for 80 per cent of
Nigerians," she said.