As the international community marks the World Cancer Day, the Founder and President of Vicar Hope Foundation, Mrs. Nkechi Ikpeazu has expressed worry about the lifestyle of a lot of Nigerians saying healthy habits remain one sure way to avoid cancer.
In a statement to mark the global cancer awareness day, Mrs. Ikpeazu said eating healthily, maintaining a healthy weight, regular physical workouts, avoiding tobacco use, abhorring risky sexual behaviors, and undergoing constant medical checkup are some of the ways to reduce chances of cancer.
“Global statistics show that every year about 9.6 million people die from cancer. Shockingly, at least one of every three cancer is preventable, while low middle-income countries are responsible for 70 percent of cancer deaths.” the statement said.
Mrs. Ikpeazu said that last year, her foundation was able to expand its coverage of breast cancer, through VHF Diagnostics Centre as the Foundation took delivery of a 2D Senographe Imaging Mammography machine adjudged one of the best around these parts of the country.
“With this machine, we are able to do better breast screening for potential breast cancer, detect it early and have the patients undergo treatment and management. We offered free breast cancer screening for women using the mammography machine for several days. Sadly, the number of women that responded during the duration of the free service was highly unimpressive,” she said. “But we are determined to continue to raise the consciousness and awareness until our people are able do what is right.”
“Going forward, one of the major health campaigns Vicar Hope Foundation will carry out is in the area of breast cancer awareness. However, Vicar Hope Foundation has continued to offer free clinical breast examination every workday since October 2019 with four cases of discovered with lumps in breast that could potentially have become breast cancer, with one successful operation carried out as a result of it,” the statement concludes.
