The Abuja Breast Cancer Support Group says cancer is not a death sentence and encouraged Nigerians to get screened.
President of the group, Ms Gloria Orji, said this in Abuja during a walk to commemorate the World Cancer Day, tagged “#Choke Cancer”.
According to her, people have the fear that cancer is an epidemic that kills but as a cancer survivor, she noted that there is hope if detected early.
She also said that awareness was the key to addressing issues of cancer, adding that most people were not aware of the disease.
The survivor said that speaking out, creating awareness and seeing cancer survivors of 20 to 25 years or more would give hope to those that had been diagnosed of the disease.
Orji further advocated for the awareness to be taken to rural areas, adding that educating people on the issue will help reduce the myth associated with the challenge.
She also stated that early detection was not enough and therefore advocated for treatment if diagnosed of any type of cancer.
Orji advised patients with cancer and others with or without family history of cancer to imbibe healthy lifestyles, stressing that it is key in combating the disease.
Mrs Adenike Ademola, another cancer survivor of 11 and half years, advised cancer patients to always obey their doctors.
She acknowledged the fact that the disease was not a death sentence and advised everyone to be an advocate of cancer in order to curb the disease.
Ademola urged the federal government, stakeholders and private sector to help create awareness on cancer in order to reduce deaths associated with the disease.