October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and with it comes conversations to promote awareness around what is quickly becoming the biggest killer of women in the world. The statistics from WHO are that there will be 20 million new cancer cases by 2020 with majority of those coming from the developing world. Already, one of the biggest killers of women in Kenya is breast cancer, with 27,000 women dying every year.
Cervical cancer is the leading cancer in the country causing the most number of deaths at 8 women dying every day, and this is unfortunate because cervical cancer can be treated if screened and detected early. Ovarian cancer is also becoming a serious issue.
With only 14% of women in the country having done cancer screening, these are not encouraging figures. This is clearly a health crisis, especially as cancer treatment is out of reach for most Kenyans. This means that cancer awareness is important for everyone. Here are 5 things everyone should know.
- What are the risk factors for cancer?
Cancer research is ongoing and therefore it’s not possible to pinpoint all the risk factors as they change as the research progresses. There are some risk factors that are unanimously agreed upon and those are tobacco, processed food and alcohol. Genetics also play a part but a minor one as those with breast cancer due to a genetic disposition amount for only 10%, with the other 90% being spontaneous.
- What are the check-ups one should do for cancer?
If you are a woman above 25, It is advisable to get an annual pap smear and a breast exam. If you are above 40, it is advisable to get an annual mammogram. Breast and cervical cancer do not have symptoms until the advanced stages so check-ups are vital. The average age for breast cancer patients has dropped to 35 so even younger women need to aware of their health.
- How is cancer treatment done?
The stages for cancer begin at 1 through to 4 and are based on how far the cancer has spread and cancer takes 9 months to 1 year to spread to stage 4. For treatment, there are three options: chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery. Chemotherapy is treatment that uses drugs most commonly through a tube with a needle into a vein (intravenously) or in pill or capsule form. Radiotherapy is treatment that involves the use of high energy rays to destroy cancer cells. The surgery option is usually to remove tumours and surrounding tissue. It is however, important for cancer to be caught early as early diagnosis means more effective and less costly treatment.
- Is there support for cancer patients and caregivers?
There are many organizations offering support and doing research as well as raising funds for those affected. There are also support groups for caregivers where they can meet people going through a similar situation and learn from them. A good resource to look up is KENCANSA (Kenya Association of Cancer Awareness).
- How do you pay for cancer treatment?
Cancer treatment is incredibly expensive and so the best option is to get on a health insurance plan or a medical scheme. Unfortunately, most of these tend to have a waiting period of a year or two before they cover cancer and other possibly pre-existing conditions. They also do not cover pap smears and mammograms. There are some that do so it is important to look and compare to make sure you are getting the most for your money. A good example of a scheme that does this is the Minet Kenya Teachers’ Medical Scheme. Teachers registered with TSC are eligible for cover and it covers pap smear, cancer treatment with no waiting time among other benefits.
