Cancer not spiritual attacks, early detection key to survival- Doctor

An oncologist and Medical Director of Jacaranda Cancer Centre, Abeokuta, Dr Kehinde Ololade, has said that Cancer is not a spiritual arrow shot by one enemy hiding somewhere, but a disease that anyone could have, irrespective of status, gender or tribe.

Ololade stressed that early presentation of cases remains crucial to fighting the Cancer scourge

He disclosed this on Thursday when speaking to journalists during the visit of the Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria, Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, led by its Chairman, Dr Adetokunbo Vaughan

The oncologist hailed the visit of the medical consultants to his Jacaranda Cancer centre, saying that the courtesy call underscored the robust collaboration that is essential to defeating the deadly march of cancer in the country.

Ololade, however, lamented that late presentation of cancer cases, as well as the misconception that it is a spiritual problem, coupled with the fact that its care is also costly, are some of the challenges to effective cancer management in the country.

He explained, “We have always been saying that for cancer, early detection is the key to survival. The majority of the survivors are those who present their cases very early and are treated appropriately by the right calibre of people and in the right centres or places.

“There’s a lot of denial when it comes to cancer and that is why by the time the cases are presented late, there may be little or nothing that can be done. For instance, you just discovered a lump in your breast and you look over it, or maybe it is a spiritual arrow from someone and all that.

“Cancer is like any other disease that can happen to anyone, irrespective of status, young or old. If a man has something to do with his wife and the next thing the wife sees is discharges with blood, then there’s something to be evaluated.

“Some people will notice bloody discharge from their nipples, which is something to be medically evaluated because that might be an early sign of cancer. Some people might lump their armpits, which is also a sign that they need to seek medical care. If you also notice that someone loses weight that is more than 10% of their body weight in under six months, such a person should go for screening because cancer feeds on blood. We have almost 200 types of cancer, so people just have to t ake more than just a passing interest in their body make-up.”

He explained that, though cancer care globally is expensive but with solid government support, especially in giving special financial support to cancer care centres to have all the prerequisite tools to work, it will also help a lot to rescue lots of people from the jaws of this disease.

He emphasised that adequate infrastructure would significantly improve outcomes for patients.

Ololade said Jacaranda Cancer Centre manages over 300 patients annually, provides chemotherapy and side-effect management, and runs community-based interventions that offer free access to cancer tests as part of its corporate social responsibility.

Speaking during the visit, the Chairman of MDCAN, FMC, Abeokuta, Dr Adetokunbo Vaughan, said the visit was to strengthen collaboration with the centre and advance the fight against cancer.

He also emphasised that Cancer is not a death sentence and that it is treatable once the cases are presented quite early.

Vaughan urged Nigerians to prioritise routine screening, stressing that early diagnosis improves survival.

The MDCAN chairman also itemised the paucity of personnel and infrastructure as some of the challenges to winning the war against cancer.

He noted that Jacaranda Cancer Centre has played a critical role in bridging these gaps through advocacy programmes and free screening exercises across the state.

Vaughan said that these interventions have gone a long way in prevention and in ensuring that people identified early have access to treatment and ultimately help to reduce the burden of cancer in the country.

Cancer is a group of diseases in which abnormal cells grow uncontrollably, invade nearby tissues, and can spread to other parts of the body—a process known as Metastasis.

It is driven by genetic mutations that disrupt normal cell regulation, preventing damaged cells from dying when they should. This leads to the formation of tumors, which can be benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous).

Diagnosis typically involves a combination of imaging scans, laboratory tests, and biopsies to confirm the presence and type of cancer.

Treatment depends on the type and stage of the disease and may include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapies—all aimed at destroying or controlling the spread of cancer cells.