“Cancer touches us all,” the 82-year-old wrote in a post on the online platform X on Monday.

He said that he and his wife Jill, like so many others, had found that they were strongest in the most difficult times.

“Thank you for lifting us with love and support,” Biden continued.

He posted a photo of himself smiling at the camera, sitting by his wife, holding a cat in her arms.

It has been public knowledge since Sunday that Biden has prostate cancer.

Biden’s office said it was an aggressive and advanced form of the disease that had spread to the bones, adding that the condition could be managed.

READ ALSO: NRBVN: Nigeria’s digital leap for its Diaspora

President Donald Trump, Biden’s predecessor and successor, expressed his wishes for a speedy recovery after the diagnosis was announced, as did former president, Barack Obama, and his wife Michelle.

“I am certain he will fight this challenge with his trademark resolve and grace,” Obama posted on X.

“We pray for a fast and full recovery.”

Obama was the U.S. president from 2009 to 2017, with Biden as his vice president.

Obama also praised Biden’s commitment to cancer research in the post.

“Nobody has done more to find breakthrough treatments for cancer in all its forms than Joe.”

As vice president, Biden spearheaded the “cancer moonshot,” a government-wide research programme, that he launched in 2016.

This is not the first cancer diagnosis in Biden’s family.

In 2015, his eldest son, Beau died of a brain tumour at the age of 46.

Biden has spoken often about the loss in speeches.

Source: dpa/NAN

The post ‘Cancer touches us all’: Biden thanks public after diagnosis appeared first on Frontpageng.

WHO has projected cancer mortality to reach one million deaths annually  by year 2030.

WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, issued the alert in a message to mark World Cancer Day 2024 which has the theme, “Together, We Challenge Those in Power”.

Moeti described the rate of cancer prevalence in Africa as lamentable.

She, therefore, called for concerted efforts against the disease through awareness campaigns on fundamental cancer issues.

She expressed the belief that the public had a frontal role to play in spearheading the annual awareness day and beyond.

“Between 2022 and 2024, the focus of World Cancer Day is to help ‘Close the cancer gap’.

“This year marks the third and final year of the campaign.

READ ALSO: Real reason for nationwide power outage -AEDC

“This theme encompasses the global demand for leaders to prioritise and invest in cancer prevention and care and to do more to achieve a just and cancer-free world,” she said.

According to her, WHO regrets the ugly statistics of cancer cases in Africa.

She warned that if proactive measures were not taken, the death toll could rise from more than 500,000 in 2022 to one million per year by 2030.

“In the year 2022, approximately 882,882 new cancer cases occurred in the WHO African Region with 573,653 deaths.

“More than 50 per cent of new cancer cases in adults in the region are due to breast, cervical, prostate, colorectal, and liver cancers.

“If urgent measures are not taken, cancer mortality in the region is projected to reach about one million deaths per year by 2030.

“Also, in 20 years, cancer death rate in Africa could overtake the global average of 30 per cent,” Moeti said.

She observed that the situation was the way it was because cancer survival rate in the WHO African region currently averages 12 per cent, much lower than the average of above 80 per cent in high-income countries.

The director called on the African governments, communities, partners, and civil society to unite and foster universal access to cancer prevention and care.

Moeti acknowledged the progress that has been made in cancer prevention and care, with 17 countries introducing high-performance-based screening tests and 28 member states of WHO implementing nationwide HPV vaccination.

She advised stakeholders to identify feasible priorities, implement evidence-based population-wide interventions, and invest in cancer control.

Moeti further advised African countries to use the updated WHO Best Buys, the facilitative tool designed to enable governments to select lifesaving policies and interventions for noncommunicable diseases.

Source: NAN

The post WHO alerts Africa to rising cancer mortality rate in region  appeared first on Frontpageng.

According to latest figures from the International Agency for Research on Cancer, IARC, a specialised branch of the UN World Health Organisation, WHO, there are predicted to be more than 35 million cancer cases during 2050, up from the estimated 20 million in 2022.

The increase reflects both population ageing and growth, as well as changes to people’s exposure to risk factors which include tobacco, alcohol and obesity are key factors, along with air population.

Richer countries are expected to have the greatest absolute increase in cancer, with an additional 4.8 million new cases predicted in 2050.

However, low and middle-income countries should see a higher proportional increase in cancer, while mortality is projected to almost double.

The estimates from the IARC’s Global Cancer Observatory are based on the best sources of data available from 185 countries and covers 36 different forms of cancer.

They were published alongside a WHO survey from 115 countries which showed that the majority do not adequately finance priority cancer and palliative care services as part of universal health coverage.

Ten types of cancer collectively comprised around two-thirds of new cases and deaths globally in 2022, the IARC said.

Lung cancer was the most commonly occurring form worldwide with 2.5 million new cases.

It accounted for more than 12 per cent of all new cases and 18.9 per cent of deaths, 1.8 million, making it the leading cause of cancer death.

Female breast cancer ranked second in terms of occurrence, with 2.3 million cases, worldwide or 11.6 per cent, but accounted for 6.9 per cent of deaths.

Other commonly occurring cancers were colorectal, prostate and stomach cancer.

Colorectal cancer was the second leading cause of cancer death, followed by liver, breast and stomach cancer.

Cervical cancer was the eighth most commonly occurring cancer globally, the ninth leading cause of cancer death, and the most common cancer in women in 25 countries, many of which are in sub-Saharan Africa.

The IARC estimates – issued ahead of World Cancer Day on February 4 – also revealed striking inequalities, particularly in breast cancer.

One in 12 women in richer countries will be diagnosed with the disease in their lifetime and one in 71 will die of it, the agency said.

READ ALSO: BOOK REVIEW: Splash theory of wealth distribution and creation

However, although only one in 27 women in poorer countries will receive a positive breast cancer diagnosis, one in 48 will die.

These women “are at a much higher risk of dying of the disease due to late diagnosis and inadequate access to quality treatment,” Dr. Isabelle Soerjomataram, Deputy Head of the Cancer Surveillance Branch at IARC, said.

The WHO survey also revealed significant global inequities in cancer services.

For example, higher income countries were up to seven times more likely to include lung cancer-related services in their health benefits packages.

“WHO, including through its cancer initiatives, is working intensively with more than 75 governments to develop, finance and implement policies to promote cancer care for all,” Dr Bente Mikkelsen, Director of its Department of Noncommunicable Diseases, said, underlining the need for greater investment.

Source: NAN

The post Cancer rates to increase to 77 % by 2050, says UN appeared first on Frontpageng.

Researchers estimated there had been a 79 per cent hike in new cases of cancer in those aged under 50 between 1990 and 2019.

However, rates in the UK were stabilised from 2010 to 2019 with the annual mortality rate from early-onset cancer “steadily decreasing.”

A team from the University of Edinburgh and the Zhejiang University School of Medicine in China analysed data from the Global Burden of Disease 2019 Study for 29 cancers in 204 countries and regions.

They looked at new cases, deaths, health consequences, and risk factors in people aged 14 to 49, estimating an annual percentage for each year.

In 2019, there were 3.26 million new cancer diagnoses for under-50s, an increase of 79.1 per cent since 1990.

Deaths were also up by 27.7 per cent.

READ ALSO: Africa Internet Governance Forum: Nigeria hosts 54 countries, others

Researchers said that while genetics are likely to play a part, smoking, alcohol consumption, and diets high in meat and salt but low in fruit and milk are the “main risk factors”, along with factors such as excess weight, low physical activity, and high blood sugar.

Breast cancer made up the largest proportion of cases – 13.7 per every 100,000 people – while windpipe and prostate cancer cases are growing the fastest at 2.28 per cent and 2.23 per cent per year, respectively.

However, early-onset liver cancer cases were down by 2.88 per cent each year.

The regions with the highest rates of early-onset cancers were North America, Australasia, and Western Europe.

Study author Dr Xue Li, of the Centre for Global Health at the University of Edinburgh’s Usher Institute, said while early-onset cancer in the UK showed an “upward trend” from 1990 to 2010, “the overall incidence rate remained stable” from 2010 to 2019.

She added, “fortunately, the annual mortality rate from early-onset cancer in the UK has been steadily decreasing, a testament to the outstanding cancer screening and treatment efforts over the past three decades.”

Publication of the study – in the journal BMJ Oncology – comes after the charity Cancer Research UK claimed that advances in cancer care have helped save 1.2 million lives in the UK since the mid-1980s.

The figure includes an estimated 560,000 fewer lung cancer deaths, 236,000 deaths from stomach cancer, 224,000 bowel cancer deaths, and 17,000 breast cancer deaths.

The charity said the improvement is down to progress in cancer prevention, as well as diagnosis and treatment, including improvements in radiotherapy, the use of cancer screening programmes, drug development, and gene discoveries.

Dr Claire Knight, senior health information manager at Cancer Research UK, said, “it’s not fully clear what is driving the rise in early-onset cancers, but exposure to risk factors in earlier life, better detection of cancer, and genetics might all play a part.”

Dr Knight said cancer remains “primarily a disease of older age,” however “alarming” the findings of the study might seem.

“We need more research to examine the causes of early-onset cancer for specific cancer types, like our BCAN-RAY study that is looking at new ways to identify younger women at higher risk of breast cancer,” she added.

“If people are concerned about their cancer risk, there are lots of ways to help reduce this, such as not smoking, maintaining a balanced diet, getting plenty of exercise and staying safe in the sun.”

Montserrat Garcia-Closas, a professor of epidemiology at the Institute of Cancer Research, said the study “seeks to address important questions on global surge in early-onset cancers” but there are “limitations with the methodology make it unclear what these findings add to current literature.”

Source: PA Media/dpa/NAN

The post Cancer cases in younger people rising globally –Researchers appeared first on Frontpageng.

The women were screened at the FRSC office, Ojodu Berger, Lagos State.

October every year is marked worldwide as Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

In October, all efforts are devoted to increasing attention and support for the awareness, early detection and treatment as well as palliative care of the disease.

Cancer is a disease in which abnormal cells divide uncontrollably and destroy body tissue.

READ ALSO: Juris Law honours Access Bank chief, Wigwe, at judges’ conference

The Group Head of W Initiative, Mrs Abiodun Olubitan, said that early screening and detection were still the best approaches to tackling cancers and that the Initiative would be screening no fewer than 5,000 women in October 2022.

“October is declared the breast and cervical cancer month and of course, we have also dedicated the month as our W Health Month which we do every year.

“W Initiative is all about inspiring, connecting and empowering women to improve their lifetsyle, that is why we are screening the women for breast and cervical cancer.

“I encourage you to follow us on our social platform on ‘@ the W community’ and you will see all the exciting things we have for this month,” she said.

Olubitan said that Access Bank partnered with FRSC knowing that women in uniform did not really have time for themselves because of the nature of their jobs.

“So, we have partnered with them to ensure they can get this screening in their location and to ensure they can know their status and know the next step to take,” she said.

The Deputy Corps Commander, Logistics RS 2.1 Lagos, Corps Commander Tajudeen Mafe, said that the partnership would help enhance innovative initiatives.

He represented the Sector Commander RS 2.1, Lagos, Corp Commander Olusegun Ogungbemide.

Mafe said that the issue of breast cancer was germaine to the female staff and that they had been enlightened on how to examine themselves for lumps in the breast.

“This effort coming from W Initiative Access Bank also goes in line with our sustainable development goals which deal with healthy living and the wellbeing of an individual.

“We appreciate your efforts and are grateful for counting us worthy.

“FRSC is an elite corps and we pay paramount attention to the wellbeing of our staff because we believe that health is wealth,” he said.

Mr Opeyemi Ologun, a co-founder of Beacon Health Diagnostics, said that Access Bank partnered Beacon to help carry out the screening tests during the month of the cancer awareness programme.

According to Ologun, screenings like Papsmear are to be carried out randomly by older women while girls from ages  10 to 26 should get the Human Papilloma Vaccine, HPV, as preventive measures against cervical cancer.

“I also advise women to quit smoking if they do.

“They should also regularly use condom if they have multiple sexual partners as protective measures against cervical cancer,” he said.

Source: NAN

The post Cancer: Access Bank screens 200 FRSC officials, targets 5,000 appeared first on Frontpageng.

The Chairman, Lancet Oncology Commission for Sub-Saharan Africa, Prof. Wil Ngwa, said this on Wednesday in Abuja at the public presentation of the report titled: “Lancet Oncology Commission: Cancer in Sub-Saharan Africa”.

While presenting the highlights of the report, he said that cancer was greatly impacting economies in the region with Algeria losing 2.6 billion dollars, Angola 1.2 billion dollars, Benin 209.2 million dollars, Botswana 500.6 million dollars and Burkina Faso, 270.6 million dollars to the disease.

Ngwa said that cancer killed more than COVID-19 in 2021 in Africa and had caused more than 28,000 children’s death in the region in 2020.

He added that as a result of COVID-19, it was estimated that there would be one million deaths per year by 2030 due to cancer in Africa.

Ngwa also said that the continent must address cancer with equal urgency, as it did with COVID-19.

He also said that the challenge of cancer now faced by Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) was enormous and likely to worsen rapidly if adequate measures were not taken including international collaboration.

Ngwa, however, said that cancer in Africa was characterised by late stage at presentation, delayed diagnosis, limited access to treatment, and poor outcomes relative to other geographic regions.

Former Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, said that there were various interventions by the federal government to reduce the burden of the disease in Nigeria.

He, however, said that what was most important was political action and not just political will.

“The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) provides health insurance to all Nigerians and cancer screening is one of the key deliverables in that document.

“So, Nigeria is likely to become one of the first countries in Africa to have cancer screening covered by health insurance.

“What we now need to do moving forward is to go on with the idea of revitalising the eight cancer centres in Nigeria.

“Things are moving up but we need to scale them up because we have more than 200 million people, so we need to improve on access, care and funding.

He added that the Cancer Health Fund was a unique innovation where people with cancer were now supported financially.

As for the region, he said that actionable plans that should be explored included precision cancer control improving, improvement of data acquisition and cancer registration, designing health-care systems that promote equity of access and increase of cure and care improvement.

Others are effective palliation as an integral and key part of cancer care, building and maintainance of workforce, innovation and research and identification of barriers to implement and test strategies.

This is for the adoption and scale-up of recommended approaches that can substantially increase access to cancer prevention and treatment and increase survival.

The Editor-In-Chief, Lancet Oncology Commission, Prof. David Collingridge, said that the constant long suffering and mortality driven by infectious diseases, malnutrition and poor maternal and child health in Africa was now being affected by the growing incidence of cancer and other Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).

Collingridge said that the double burden of disease was a consequence of lifestyle and behavioural changes and a shift in the patient population demographics to an ageing population.

“The health of the people in this part of the world where fragile health systems are under financed, under resourced and understaffed needs to be a global concern and needs to change,” he said.

He, however, said that the report advocates skin cancer research and increase in the use of telemedicine and other new technologies.

According to him, the report emphasises the importance of implementation research in clinical care pathways and enhanced service delivery.

Collingridge said, “In terms of financing, the commissioners suggests that financing should be initially prioritised for the most cost-effective measures.

“Cost-effective measures such as vaccines for prevention of preventable cancers, more affordable treatments that affect the greatest clinical cost benefit ratios.

“They recommend that transparent and dedicated revenue stream should be established with the input from international collaborators as needed to finance these specific measures.”

Collingridge said that each nation across Africa would need to adapt the recommendations to suit their specific situation, adding that with political determination and a coordinated approach across the region and the world, improved cancer care was achievable.

The commission was created to inquire into, describe and analyse the state of cancer in Sub-Saharan Africa and recommend key actions to address the growing challenge.

It brought together experts on all aspects of cancer control from Africa and around the world.

Source: NAN

The post Nigeria lost $5.6bn to cancer in 2019 -Report appeared first on Frontpageng.

She was said to have been battling cancer for about two years.

Her husband, Odukoya, gave the information on his Instagram page.

His words: “With deep regret and gratitude to God, I have to announce the passing of my wife, Pastor Nomthi Odukoya.

“She battled cancer for the better part of two years, she stood on the Word of God, and she fought.

“She gave me 11 beautiful years of marriage and two wonderful boys, who I know will be very significant in life.

“I loved her with all my heart, but who am I to fight with the will of God.

“The truth is, at one point in our lives, we all will have to say goodbye. So for now, till we meet again in glory, Goodbye Nomthi.”

It would be recalled that Odukoya’s first wife, Pastor Bimbo, died in a plane crash in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on December 10, 2005.

Odukoya married Nomthi, a South African, in 2010.

The post Pastor Taiwo Odukoya loses wife, says she had cancer appeared first on Frontpageng.

DHF is based in Isanlu, Yagba East local government area of Kogi State, Nigeria, with a focus on rural community cancer awareness.

DHF’s Executive Director, Dr. Ekundayo Samuel, made the disclosure at a sensitisation programme on Monday, in Isanlu, tagged: “The role of transportation workers in cancer control.”

Samuel stated that the event was organised to enlighten transportation workers and other relevant stakeholders on their role in cancer control and how they can join the fight against cancer.

The continuous rise in the incidence of cancer in Nigeria, Africa, and globally was of great concern, he said, while emphasising projections by GLOBOCAN that by the year 2030, about 30 million people would be living with cancer.

He added that the projection also showed that one in two persons would have one form of cancer or another by 2030, if nothing was done.

Represented by Mrs. Eunice Olure, a Community Health and extension worker of DHF, Samuel stressed that Nigeria had an estimated 100,000 new cases of cancer in 2020, as reported by GLOBOCAN.

He reiterated that the event was organised in pursuit of the organisation’s aim of reducing the threats posed by cancer in the spirit of giving back to the society,

“We believe in inclusion because that is the best and quickest way to overcome the plague called cancer. Everybody needs to be involved,” he said.

He noted that the organisation’s vision was to see a world free of cancer threats, saying that activities were lined up for the day to allow the participants play their part in cancer control.

A guest speaker, Dr Nasir Abdullah, Medical Officer-in-Charge, General Hospital, Isanlu, who spoke on “Cancer and its causes”, said that cancer always resulted from the inappropriate, abnormal, and excessive procreation of cells.

According to Abdullah, cancer could affect any part of the body, but mostly affected five body parts, including the breast, lungs, prostate, cervix, and intestines; and did not discriminate based on age, status, race, or colour.

He emphasised the need for early presentation for screening and stern evaluation of one’s lifestyle.

On her part, Mrs Emily Baba, the Family Planning Lead, Yagba East local government area, spoke on “Cancer control and the role of the transport workers in preventing the spread of cancer.”

She said that exhausts from mechanical machines like motorcycles, tricycles, and cars were the major triggers of cancer formation urging people to be conscious and more sensitive to changes in their body, and regularly consult medical personnel for advice and screening, if necessary.

Baba cited prevention as the best cure for cancer, saying cancers detected at their early stages could still be effectively managed, while identifying alcohol, cigarettes, unhealthy food as some of the substances that predispose people to cancer.

She advised people to eat a healthy diet and engage in adequate physical exercise for at least 30 minutes daily.

In their separate comments, the chairmen of Branch 1 and 2, National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Yagba East, Sunday Abiodun and Femi Job, respectively, thanked DHF for including them in the fight against cancer.

A cross section of participants on cancer control sensitisation programme, organised by Dove Having Foundation (DHF) on Monday in Isanlu, Yagba East local government area, Kogi State.

The DHF provided free five litres of petroleum motor spirit, PMS, to each of the participants at the filling station located opposite its office.

Source: NAN

The post Cancer may afflict 30 million people globally by 2030, says NGO appeared first on Frontpageng.

“Animal skin known as “ponmo’’ is harmful to the body; it has no nutritional value.

“Run away from meat, especially red meat. If you want to eat chicken, eat the local one.

“Consumption of animal protein can lead to diseases. More importantly, it causes cancer and death,’’ the microbiologist said while addressing a seminar on “Lifestyle, Diseases and Management’’ at the university.

“Millions of cases of food poisoning are recorded every year which are traceable to the consumption of meat, especially those with mad cow disease and helminthic infestations,’’ he said.

Oloke asserted that cancer was not only preventable but curable and added that 60 per cent of chronic diseases could be prevented through healthy diets.

He added that other lifestyle measures to stave off cancer and other diseases included managing stress, avoiding toxins such as alcohol and tobacco, regular exercise and adequate sleep.

“One of the things that cancer cells thrive on is sugar; so if you can take off the consumption of sugar from any cancer patient, you would have helped the patient.

“Some foods and fruits such as banana, apple, pineapple and carbohydrates are high in sugar content.

“Cancer patients should also avoid animal-based milk and consume plant-based milk,’’ he said.

“Beans are the best meal for those suffering from cancer; beans prepared with olive oil and not red oil.

“Others are snails, Croaker fish, cabbage and leafy vegetables. These are good and nutritious for cancer patients,’’ he added.

The vice-chancellor also said that with proper nutrition, cancer cells could be killed, noting that consumption of walnuts and Soya products, but not Soya oil could kill cancer.

“Soya milk is good for breast cancer cure,’’ Oloke stressed.

The Professor of Microbiology who has won many local and international awards, further stressed that with a good diet, man could live beyond 100 years.

“Eating vegetables is one of the surest ways of staying healthy. Sugar or sweet things are the greatest enemies of man,’’ he told the seminar.

Oloke also noted that while plant-based foods lowered diabetes and liver risks, consumption of vegetables helped a great deal in controlling sugar levels.

The don listed some other foods that could decrease the possibility of heart attack, stroke and cancer to include avocado pear, green tea, and natural orange juice.

He warned, however, that consumers should moderate their intake.

“In Europe during World War II, the death rate caused by heart disease fell as people were forced to eat less cholesterol-ridden foods.

“In other words, it is better for your heart if you eat a low fat vegetarian diet while bombs drop around you than to enjoy your steak in peace,’’ he mused.

Oloke enjoined people to work out their lifestyles stressing that “rhythmic activities of the mind and body, including hormones, circulation, digestion, brain waves and state of consciousness support healthy living.”

“Realise that your next day begins when you go to sleep. Maintain a healthy Body Max Index, good nutrition, regular exercise and a spiritual practice,’’ he advised.

Source: NAN

The post Shun consumption of ‘ponmo’ to stave off cancer —Don appeared first on Frontpageng.

Its founder, Tolu Falowo, told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, that delayed diagnoses had led to disastrous outcomes for many of the afflicted, especially the poor.

“In Nigeria, about 50 per cent of women who develop breast cancer present with Stage 4 (metastatic) disease at diagnosis.

“Dealing with metastatic breast cancer presents many challenges for the person diagnosed, for their caregivers and for the medical team.

“Indigent and low-income individuals facing cancer diagnosis do not have good outcomes.

“There are several reasons for this. They include poverty, ignorance, cultural beliefs, inadequate referral systems, and inadequate diagnoses.

“Other reasons are fear of diagnoses, ill-trained health workers, lack of national cancer screening programmes and a dearth of well-equipped treatment centres,’’ Falowo said.

She lamented inadequate funding to help indigent patients to settle huge costs of treatment and said that had resulted in their abandonment in most cases.

Falowo also expressed regret that Nigeria did not have a national cancer screening programme to help with prevention and early detection.

She said that resulting from that, CancerAware and a group of medical experts dealing with body tumours developed the MobiPINK Metastatic Breast Cancer project in 2019 to spread the knowledge about metastatic breast cancer.

She said that the essence was to improve the quality of life of patients in addition to providing resources and support for caregivers in the course of the patients’ treatment.

Falowo said the battle against cancers “mustn’t end at awareness; action must follow; women must do their breast checks monthly and annually.

“Women aged 40 years and above should have a mammogram each year.

“If there is a history of breast cancer in the family, they should speak to their doctors about starting personalised early breast cancer screening.’’

Source: NAN

The post Breast, Cervical cancers on the rise in Nigeria –NGO appeared first on Frontpageng.