Cancer might be cured if it is detected early
People often think that cancer is a rich countries’ disease. This false impression prevents the early detection of cancer, which is exactly when there is a better chance of healing.
People often think that cancer is a rich countries’ disease. This false impression prevents the early detection of cancer, which is exactly when there is a better chance of healing.
A few weeks a go a renowned pastor, Jeanne Kanyange of Mission Restore International and Prayer Palace Church, died of brain cancer at King Faisal hospital. According to resources she had battled with the disease for some time before it finally defeated her. This sad demise is a stark reminder that cancer is no longer (and probably never has been) an illness that only occurs in rich countries.
However, a recent study on diagnosed cancers in Rwanda indicates that brain cancer is rare in the country, with the majority of cancer cases among women being cervical cancer, followed by breast cancer and stomach cancer. From 2000-2004 cervical cancer was the most common disease in 1,369 women diagnosed with cancer, representing 30.1% of thecases.
According to Dr. Patrick Mulindwa, a gynecologist at CHUK Hospital, brain cancer is caused by out growth of cells in the brain which in most cases grow abnormally and are referred to as brain tumors, although some brain tumors do not necessarily grow into cancer, except malignant tumors, which grow excessively and begin to weaken the strong cells. One of the indicators of brain cancer is persistent and non-responding headache to any medication, which is as a result of the cancer compressing the nerves causing lethal pain.
He emphasized that whatever type of cancer one may be suffering from, the best chances of healing are when treatment is started in the early stages. “Women should take the trouble to go for cancer checkup once in a while, because some types of cancer like the cervical cancer are not easy to detect unless one is sexually active,” Mulindwa explained.
What complicates matters is that cancer generally has no specific symptoms, hence it is important to undergo appropriate cancer screening to save oneself the risk. Nevertheless, one needs to know which symptoms might point to cancer. There might be a warning which could lead to early diagnosis of cancer.
In cervical cancer, for instance, it is possible for a woman to experience regular bleeding either post-menopausal or post-coital, persistent fever, weight loss and anemia. There might also be pain, which is due to the spread of the infection to the pelvic cavity. Dr. Mulindwa pointed out that pain is a late sign, and urges women to always be cautious of such signs and see a doctor immediately as cancer is a deadly disease.
On the other hand, signs of breast cancer can be noticed even before visiting a doctor. Abnormal secretion, pain and a lump in the breasts are possible signs of breast cancer. At a later stage the breasts’ skin turns so rough, and according to Dr. Mulindwa it feels as hard as a lemon shell and the nipples retract.
Currently, cancer detection and treatment can only be carried out at King Faycal Hospital, where there is colposcopy for the cervix, CT-scan and mammography for the brain. There are currently no Rwandan cancer specialists, although a few foreign oncologists are active in the country.
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Posted by The Rwanda Focus
on Oct 21 2009. Filed under Health.
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