Clinical oncologist Dr Omolola Salako has expressed concern over the growing number of young Nigerians being diagnosed with cancer, saying specialists are increasingly encountering cases among people aged 18 to 39.
Salako, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of Pearl Oncology Specialist Hospital, raised the concern during an interview on ARISE NEWS on Sunday.
She said the cases were particularly worrying because cancer screening is generally not routinely recommended for people in that age group, meaning symptoms may easily be overlooked.
“And for young cancers, that’s another thing we’re seeing in oncology, there are young people between the ages of 18 and 39 that are developing cancers and these cancers are unpredictable, too young to recommend cancer screening in the first place,” she stated.
According to the oncologist, young adults diagnosed with cancer often seek medical attention at a later stage because they rarely consider cancer when experiencing health problems.
“And with the younger adults, they tend to present, you know, late because that’s the last thing on a 20-something years old mind, so with smoking, the causative agent is tobacco,” Salako said.
Tobacco Use Remains Major Concern
Speaking about cancer prevention, Salako identified tobacco consumption as a major risk factor, noting that tobacco products contain thousands of chemicals capable of contributing to cancer development.
“Smoking contains tobacco. And in tobacco, there are more than 3,000 chemicals that are known to trigger cancer or start cancer,” she said.
She stressed that the danger was not limited to people who smoke directly, as individuals regularly exposed to second-hand smoke could also face health risks.
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“Whether you’re smoking it or you’re leaving or hanging around the person who’s smoking, all of that are risk factors, so the first thing I would say is when we speak cancer control, there’s several pillars. So the first pillar is cancer prevention,” the oncologist said.
Salako encouraged Nigerians to make greater use of healthcare facilities for preventive services, including appropriate cancer screening and vaccination.
She noted that some cancers could be prevented through measures such as vaccination against hepatitis B and human papillomavirus (HPV).
“And 40% of cancers are preventable. So it’s important women and men are presented at the primary care health care levels to get screened, get vaccinated against hepatitis B virus, human papillomavirus,” she said.
Family History Can Increase Risk
The specialist also highlighted genetics and family history as important considerations, particularly for individuals with several relatives who have had cancer.
“Another challenge I must highlight are those with a strong family history of cancer,” Salako said.
She advised people with significant family histories of the disease to consult specialists and consider genetic testing to establish whether they have an increased risk.
“When there’s a strong family history, you should see a specialist, you should do some genetic tests and there are some drugs and tests that can be done to detect the cancers when they are at stage zero, pre-cancers, when they are microscopic,” she said.
Salako further listed several other conditions and lifestyle factors that could contribute to cancer risk, including kidney disease resulting in renal failure, uncontrolled hypertension and micronutrient deficiencies.
She also warned against assuming that electronic cigarettes were a safe alternative to conventional tobacco products.
On alcohol consumption, she said excessive and prolonged use could damage the liver and promote chronic inflammation, potentially contributing to certain cancers.
UV Exposure And Chronic Inflammation
The oncologist also raised concerns about prolonged exposure to ultraviolet radiation, particularly among fair-skinned people and people living with albinism, who have lower levels of melanin and therefore less natural protection from UV radiation.
“And so with that less protection and being exposed to harsher UV radiation, there’s more skin damage that is seen as sunburns,” she said.
Salako explained that chronic inflammation was a common pathway through which several risk factors could contribute to the development of cancer.
“At the end of the day, almost everything leads to inflammation,” she said.
She explained that repeated damage to cells could eventually create an environment in which abnormal cells survive and develop into cancer.
“The problem with cancer is, it just takes one arrow in one cell and finds a way to hide. And that’s how cancer can develop,” Salako said.