Kenya Loses 90 People Daily to Cancer – Lifestyle Largely to Blame

The World Health Organization (WHO), through the Ministry of health, has revealed that 90 people lose their lives daily to cancer.

The disease now claims 69 percent of its victims, 32,900 deaths every year which is 10 times more than the total deaths caused by road accidents.

The numbers paint a grim picture in the war on cancer. The disease ranks third on the list of top killers after pneumonia and malaria.

Kenya records 47,887 new cancer cases annually, about 130 daily. In 2012 when the last survey was published, it recorded 40,000 new cases and 27,000 deaths annually.

Despite campaigns and efforts to win the war on cancer, the situation has worsened. There has been a near 20 percent increase in cases diagnosed every year.

 Esophagus cancer leads among men and women with 4,380 cases yearly. Among women, breast, cervical cancer lead at 5,985 and 5,250 cases each. In men, prostate cancer leads with 2,864 cases.

READ MORE: Cancer Kills More Women than Men as Kenya Leads East Africa in Deaths

 Breast cancer is responsible for the largest number of deaths, killing 23 percent of its victims. Cervical cancer claims 20.5 percent of its victims, prostate (11.3 percent), esophagus (8.6 percent) and colorectal (colon or rectal) at 4.5 percent.

The estimated number of deaths due to cancer in 2018 was 9.5 million, which amounts to 26,000 deaths a day. This number is expected to increase as environmental stresses increase, air quality worsens, lifestyles and eating habits too!

Cancer has been linked to a number of factors such as obesity, sudden weight gain or weight loss, bad eating habits, stress and lack of exercise being some of them.

Many cancers have a high chance of cure if detected early and treated adequately. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), between 30-50 percent of cancers can currently be prevented by avoiding risk factors and implementing existing evidence-based prevention strategies.

Every year the theme has its own theme and 2019 marked the launch of the 3-year ‘I Am and I Will’ campaign. ‘I Am and I Will’ is an empowering call-to-action urging for personal commitment and represents the power of individual action taken now to impact the future.

Cancer Classification

Cancer can be classified according to the type of cell they start from. There are five main types:

Carcinoma

This type of cancer that arises from the epithelial cells (the lining of cells that helps protect or enclose organs).

Carcinomas may invade the surrounding tissues and organs and metastasize to the lymph nodes and other areas of the body.

The most common forms of cancer in this group are breast, prostate, lung and colon cancer

Sarcoma 

This is a type of malignant tumor of the bone or soft tissue (fat, muscle, blood vessels, nerves and other connective tissues that support and surround organs).

The most common forms of sarcoma are leiomyosarcoma, liposarcoma, and osteosarcoma

Lymphoma and Myeloma 

Lymphoma and Myeloma are cancers that begin in the cells of the immune system. Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphatic system, which runs all through the body, and can, therefore, occur anywhere.

Myeloma starts in the plasma cells, a type of white blood cell that produces antibodies to help fight infection. This cancer can affect the cell’s ability to produce antibodies effectively

Leukemia 

Leukemia is a cancer of the white blood cells and bone marrow, the tissue that forms blood cells.

There are several subtypes; common are lymphocytic leukemia and chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Brain and spinal cord cancers 

These are known as central nervous system cancers. Some are benign while others can grow and spread.

Most cancers are caused by the kinds of lifestyles we lead and the foods that we consume. This is why we are advised to be keen on whatever we eat on a daily basis.

Key Cancer Facts

• 9.6 million people die from cancer every year.
• At least one-third of common cancers are preventable.
• Cancer is the second-leading cause of death worldwide.
• 70 percent of cancer deaths occur in low-to-middle income countries.
• Up to 3.7 million lives could be saved each year by implementing resource appropriate strategies for prevention, early detection, and treatment.
• The total annual economic cost of cancer is estimated at US$1.16 trillion.