Despite the belief that cancer is a killer disease, Nobel Laureate , Professor Wole Soyinka, has a different story.
By Wale Rayners, from Lagos
For prominent Nigerians and celebrities in the country, cancer is no longer an ailment to only imagine. It is one ailment that is currently ravaging their ranks and reducing their numbers. It is a killer disease; hence a victim of cancer is generally described as a corpse in the waiting.
But Professor Oluwole Soyinka, Nobel Laureate, author and activist, has a hearty tiding about his experience with cancer. He said he was diagnosed with cancer last December and an expert and Founder of the African Cancer Centre, Lagos, Prof. Olu Williams, assured him that he would “not die of the disease.”
Soyinka, who spoke recently at a news conference at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, said he opened up to create awareness about cancer and help people take measures to prevent cancer or seek medical attention.
He said he survived the silent killer because of early detection, treatment and proper diet, adding that it dawned on him that the Soyinka family had a history of cancer. The Nobel laureate noted that his initial reaction when he became aware that he had cancer was to see it as one of those challenges that should be dealt with, adding that at a time, he considered it an unwanted squatter in his body and had to get rid of it.
Soyinka’s son, Olaokun, a doctor, who is also the Commissioner for Health in Ogun State, added that his father was treated for “prostate cancer.” The literary scholar said he travelled overseas to get treatment, which was not meant to be so, following the absence of cancer care centre in West Africa. According to him, quality diet could prevent some deadly diseases, while he drank a lot of water that hitherto was loathsome to him during treatment.
The playwright said in 2011, a whopping sum of N400million was budgeted to assist in setting up a cancer care centre in Lagos. According to him, the centre known as the African Cancer Centre was a private initiative. He added that the fund was yet to be released to the centre thereby making it difficult to put an end to the scourge.
His words: “A few years ago, I was invited to become a board member of the Africa Cancer Centre and even delivered the inaugural lecture titled: “Cancers, lifestyles”. It never occurred to me to test myself because men had their tests like women.
Prof. Wole Soyinka…survived the silent killer because of early detection, treatment and proper diet
“I have heard people who lost their loved ones. They just told me, ‘Prof, we hope you’re having your own’? And I told them I had one 10 years ago and he said ‘no no, do it regularly’ and by accident in November last year, I discovered that I had cancer.
“For me, this is not a decision I like, but I felt I have all obligation being a member of the African Cancer Centre and also having even donated a performance during the festival to raise fund for cancer.
“I’m under obligation to make it known and to also demystify cancer. Many people feel it is a death sentence. Families feel it, friends, colleagues, they begin to look at you as if you are a ghost once there is a rumor that you have cancer.
“ No, cancer is not a death sentence, it is curable. I have undergone the treatment and I am able to tell you that I even have a model, that’s my certificate.
“Finally, I finished on October 28 and everything is fine. I want to use myself to encourage others to take whatever test available to you in our little circumstances here, but more importantly to encourage those who are in charge of health matters to take seriously the cancer menace, which many people called the silent killer.
“The important thing is that I am convinced that we have enough funds in this nation to build cancer centers, including research that this country requires.
“ It is very capital intensive, some of it, but there are many ways and treatments for cancer just like there are many kinds of cancer. Even diet forms an important part, diet is critical.
“One of these major reasons why I decided that I have to make this appeal is that I happen to know that money was budgeted and approved for the cancer centre in 2011.
“I appeal that this money be released. Not all of us can gallivant about where we can stop over and have the necessary treatment. I think we should have diagnostic centers everywhere where elementary treatment can be given to patients,’’ he said.
The good news coming from Soyinka about the dreaded disease which comes in different forms and attacks different parts of the body may sound incredible to the family of former First Lady, Maryam Babangida, who lost the battle to cancer on 27 December, 2009. Maryam, wife of former military President, General Ibrahim Babangida, died of ovarian cancer after a long battle with the disease at the age of 61.
That same year, Gani Fawehinmi, renowned lawyer and human rights activist; Remi Abiola, actress and wife of late businessman and politician, Chief M.K.O. Abiola, as well as Alaere Alaibe, wife of Bayelsa-born politician, Timi Alaibe, all died of cancer.
Soyinka’s story will also sound unbelievable to relatives of Olusola Saraki, Second Rebublic Senate Leader, who battled the ailment for five years and later gave up the ghost. If Soyinka’s story is tenable, the lives of 51-year old Remi Osholake, a famous Lagos based fashion designer, and Sam Ojebode, an ex-Green Eagles star who passed on after the battle with cancer of the lungs, would have been spared.
In December, 2010, Yusuf Jibo, former Zonal Director of the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), died of colon cancer. Eleven days to the wedding of her daughter, Clara Oshiomhole, wife of Governor Adam Oshiomhole of Edo State, died of cancer on the 8th December, 2010.
Christy Essien- Igbokie, popularly known as lady of songs, also lost the battle to cancer in August 2011.
Osahon Enabulele , the President of the Nigerian Medical Association, says cancer could be caused by different factors. According to him, things such as ultraviolet and ionizing radiation; chemical carcinogens, such as asbestos, components of tobacco smoke, food and drinking water contaminants as well as infections from certain viruses, bacteria or parasites are causal factors.
Also, the President of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Olumide Akintayo, explained at the recent World Cancer Day that “the incidence of cancer rises dramatically with age, most likely due to a build-up of risks for specific cancers that increase with age.”
He said tobacco and alcohol use, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity could trigger the ailment, adding that chronic infections from hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and some types of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) are common causes in poor countries.
“Many cancers have a high chance of cure if detected early and treated adequately,” he said.