Cancer is the name given to a collection of related diseases. In all types of cancer, some of the body’s cells begin to divide without stopping and spread into surrounding tissues.
Cancer can start almost anywhere in the human body, which is made up of trillions of cells. Normally, human cells grow and divide to form new cells as the body needs them. When cells grow old or become damaged, they die, and new cells take their place.
Up to 3.7 million lives could be saved each year through resource appropriate strategies for prevention, early detection and timely and quality treatment. Yet, at least one third of cancers can be prevented. This is part of the justification to improve the face of health in our society by creating cancer awareness and early detection through screening and healthy lifestyles modifications towards a cancer free society.
Read more aboutThe cancer burden is rising globally, exerting significant strain on populations and health systems at all income levels. In Kenya, cancer is the 3rd leading cause of death after infectious and cardiovascular diseases. The International Agency for Research in Cancer (IARC) GLOBOCAN report for 2018 estimated 47,887 new cases of cancer annually with a mortality of 32,987.
This represents close to 45% increase in incidence compared to the previous report that estimated 37,000 new cancer cases annually with an annual mortality of 28,500 in 2012. Breast, cervix uteri, oesophagus, prostate and colorectum are the leading types of new cancer cases in both males and females across all ages, with oesophageal cancer being the leading cause of cancer deaths, followed by cervical cancer and then breast cancer.
The word cancer comes from the Greek word carcinos which means CRAB
Cancer is a group of diseases with the following characteristics:
While we acknowledge it is very important and practical to determine the cost of cancer treatment and care for all cancer types, this is influenced by several factors.
These include the type of cancer, type of treatment modality required, stage of cancer, scope/extend of care required (inpatient/ outpatient care); service provider (public/ private), etc.
It is advisable to consult your doctor at the point of service delivery for cost information.
A risk factor is anything that increases a person’s chance of developing cancer. Although risk factors often influence the development of cancer, most do not directly cause cancer.
Some people with several risk factors never develop cancer, while others with no known risk factors do.
Knowing your risk factors and talking about them with your doctor may help you make more informed lifestyle and health care choices.
Breast cancer is a disease in which cells in the breast grow uncontrollably, then form a malignant tumor that can invade the surrounding tissues.
They can also spread to other parts of the body, usually through the lymph system to form a secondary (metastatic) tumor.
Out of all cancers in Kenya, Breast Cancer leads in incidence with 5,985 new cases annually (12.5% of all new cancer cases).
Breast cancer is the third leading cause of all cancer deaths. Five out of ten breast cancer cases in Kenya are diagnosed late (GLOBOCAN, 2018)
The exact cause of breast cancer is not yet well understood. Evidence exist that some factors are attributable to breast cancer, however in certain cases, some patients seemed free of the risk factors while other individual with the risk factors did not develop cancer. Some of these factors are modifiable while others are non-modifiable.
They include;
Breast cancer can occur in both men and women, but it is commonly found in women.
Although it is not always easily noticeable in the initial stages, the following are signs and symptoms of breast cancer.
When discovered early and treatment initiated promptly, many patients have survived breast cancer. The commonly available treatment options for breast cancer include Surgery, Chemotherapy, Radiation Therapy, Hormone Therapy and immunotherapy.
Breast cancer treatments are getting better all the time, and people have many more options today than ever before.
Since there is no sufficient knowledge on the cause of breast cancer, choosing a healthy lifestyle, screening (mammography) and early detection of the disease remains the cornerstone of breast cancer control.
A mammogram is an X-ray of the breast. Mammograms are commonly used to screen for breast cancer. If an abnormality is detected on a screening mammogram, your doctor may recommend a diagnostic mammogram to further evaluate that abnormality. Breast ultrasound
Although rare, cancers in children before the age of 18 years do occur.
The cause of childhood cancer is not well understood. However, some of the childhood cancers are associated with radiation, genetic factors, viral infections e.g Epstein-Barr, Hepatitis B, Human Herpes and HIV
The early signs and symptoms of childhood cancers are non-specific. This increases the chances of l late detection.
Generally, about 80% of children diagnosed with cancer survive for at least five years
Cervical cancer is cancer starting from (cervix) - the opening of the uterus. In women the cervix is located between the vagina and the womb.
Any woman can get cervical cancer. However, presence of some risk factors exposes some women more than others
The cause of cervical cancer is currently not very clear. However, it is highly liked to Human Papillomavirus Virus (HPV) which is sexually transmitted viral infection. This virus may cause cancer in some women but not all women as some spontaneously recover from the infections. If detected early, precancerous lesions caused by HPV can be treated successful before they transform to cancerous cells, It is important to for all women over 30 years to get screened for cervical cancer.
Other risk factors for cervical cancer include:
It is not always for possible for a woman to know if they have cervical cancer initially since there are no obvious signs or symptoms experienced.
Nevertheless, as the disease progresses, a woman with cervical cancer presents with one or several with the following signs and symptoms;
Investigations by a doctor will confirm if one presenting with the above signs has cancer of the cervix. Promptly seek medical assistance if those signs are there. Some of these signs appear in the later stage of the disease.
There is no definite prevention approach to cervical cancer. This is because some risk factors are not within an individual ability to control/modify e.g age. Some ways of lowering the chances that one gets cervical cancer are;
Currently the cause of prostate cancer is unknown but it has been associated with some factors
Prostate cancer is affects Men. It is common among men 40 years and above
Since the exact cause of prostate cancer is not well understood currently,
Some of the risk factors for developing prostate cancer are;
Prevention of prostate cancer may not be guaranteed because not all the predisposing factors are controllable, however chances of developing prostate cancer can be minimized through;
The treatment modalities that the doctor may chose for depending on other clinical consideration include:
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