CASES OF BREAST CANCER RISE BY 21%

Benedicta Bassey.

A Breast Cancer Awareness Network, care organization and public enlightenment, has raised the alarm over the rising cases of breast cancer in the country.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, COPE, Mrs. Evunola Anozie, said on Tuesday that the cases had risen to 21 percent.

Anozie stated this at a news conference tagged, “Breast Cancer under Global Focus” in Ikeja, Lagos State.

She affirmed that breast cancer had been on the increase in Nigeria due to late detection of the illness; ignorance; religious beliefs; stigmatization; taboos and fear of the unknown.

However, she urged the government to be proactive and implement policies that would promote healthy lifestyle.

“Our government should be proactive and move beyond willingness to implement policies that promote adoption of healthy lifestyle and ensure adequate training and orientation of health professionals,” Anozie said.

She charged the government to provide State-Of-The-Art equipment in the general hospitals for prevention of cancer rather than travelling overseas for treatment which most Nigerians could not afford.

She therefore appealed to the government, stakeholder and other interest groups to expand their volunteer force; build accountability and begin to explore profitable collaborative efforts to fight cancer before it blows up to epidemic.

Meanwhile, COPE donated #1.2m to some less privileged breast cancer patients to assist them in their treatment.