72,000 Cancer Patients Die Annually In Nigeria -Expert

Former Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Lokoja,Kogi State, Prof. Abdulmumini Rafindadi says out of 102,000 cases of cancer recorded annually, 72,000 die.
Rafindadi, a Professor of pathology at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, made the disclosure at the 19th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Islamic Medical Association of Nigeria (IMAM) in Birnin Kebbi yesterday.
He attributed the main causes of cancer to tobacco smoking, drinking of alcohol among others and for the fact that many cases of cancer were reported in the hospitals when they had reached 75 per cent to 80 percentage.
“Cancer causes dreaded mortality, emotional disturbances and loss of loved ones.
“Our habit, environment, diet, lifestyles, behavioural and economic factors cause cancer.
“Today, we have recorded about 102,000 cases of cancer annually while 72,000 patients die annually. We have 50 per cent of these figure to be breasts and cervical cancer ,” he said.
The professor expressed concern over lack of medical equipment in few hospitals that specialised on treatment of cancer in the country.
“Nigeria has nine radiotherapy equipment while countries like Japan, Egypt, Sri Lanka and Pakistan have enough equipment to combat the dreaded disease.”
In his remark, the National President of IMAM, Dr Salish Ismail, said the association had provided free medical outreach to the less privileged communities in the country, especially the Internally Displayed Persons, (IDPs).