Empowering Lives: The Urgency of Early Cancer Detection and Prevention

#Cancer I do not think copying and pasting a directive by a friend should measure my loyalty or sincerity to my friendship with people. But the post of Zainab Kaka Owolabi on the last moment of a relative dying of cancer tore my heart.

Truly, no one should die of cancer because early diagnosis and listening to the wise counsel of physicians are key cancer survivalist strategies.

Cancer is very destructive and terribly invasive. They tear open body defenses and take over the areas invaded. It starves the body of its nutrients and begin to spread like wild fires. The cancer cells thrive and the body cells begin to die.

Unfortunately, the treatments available are sadly painful. They also destroy both the cancer and the body cells. Which makes it double wahala for cancer sufferers.

I lost a close family friend in the 90s because she refused a mastectomy, which would have removed the suspected breast through surgery that could have stopped the cancer from spreading. She ignored medical counsel and took refuge in worship centers. By the time she accepted medical preferences, it was too late. We lost her. I was devastated because she didn’t have a reason to die.

So, Zainab Owolabi‘s message resonated with me and brought back those bad memories with tears to my eyes. Nobody should die of cancer because more than 80 % of the deaths are preventable if detected early through laboratory tests.

All males from 40 years old should do prostate screening tests at least twice a year or as advised by your family Doctor. The test is a simple and less expensive blood test called the prostate specific antigen (PSA) test measures, which determines the level of the antigen in the blood.

If you are a male and you have not done tour PSA screening for years, if you are having difficulty with peeing (urination), frequent urination at night, difficulty with totally emptying the bladder, urgency to wee (urinate), or even urinating on your body before getting to the bathroom, or blood in your urine, kindly see your doctor TODAY. Not tomorrow.

Females should check their breasts for lumps, do mammograms to screen for breast cancer, pap smear to screen for cervical cancer, or the Galleri test, which could detect multicancer cells in the blood even when there are no symptoms.

Cancer is deadly, and the treatment is expensive. I do not want to see or hear any of you reading me dead of cancer. It shall not be your portion.

Early detection is key. Therefore, to stay alive, please visit your physician for laboratory tests as advised at your earliest convenience.

Grace and peace!!!