UBTH boss seeks pragmatic effort to fight cancer

University-of-Benin-Teaching-Hospital

University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH)

Prof. Darlington Obaseki, the Chief Medical Director (CMD), University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), has called for pragmatic efforts to fight cancer in the country.

Darlington made the call on Monday at the Doctors House, Benin, on the occasion of the World Cancer Day with the theme: “I am and I will Fight Cancer”.

He defined cancer as “a disease in which abnormal cells divide uncontrollably and destroy body tissue”.

He said cancer is a large number of diseases characterized by the development of abnormal cells that divide uncontrollably and have the ability to infiltrate and destroy normal body tissue.

“Cancer often has the ability to spread throughout your body.

“Cancer is an epidemic in our society, and we have to realize that cancer is preventable.

“Majority of people do not understand the meaning and prevention of cancer,” he said.

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He said the sign and symptoms caused by cancer vary depending on what part of the body is affected.

Darlington said the symptoms include fatigue, lump or area of thickening that can be felt under the skin, weight changes, including unintended loss or gain, skin changes, such as yellowing, darkening or redness of the skin.

The CMD said tobacco smoking, lack of exercise, too much of red meat, alcoholism, poor nutrition, lack of vegetables and fruits can increase the risk of cancer.

He said that cancer is caused by changes (mutations) to the DNA within cells, adding that the DNA inside a cell is packaged into a large number of individual genes.

Dr Ereba Emosefe, the President, Medical Women’s Association of Edo State, said the early detection of cancer is the key to eliminate it.

She said early detection, living a healthy lifestyle, exercising and awareness can prevent cancer from every Nigerian home.

The World Cancer Day is an international day marked on Feb. 4 to raise awareness of cancer and to encourage its prevention, detection and treatment.

World Cancer Day was founded by the Union for International Cancer Control to support the goals of the World Cancer Declaration, written in 2008.

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