By Olasunkanmi Akoni

University of Lagos, UNILAG, the Department of Radiation Biology, Radiotherapy and Radiodiagnosis, RBRR, has held a cancer awareness campaign and free screening exercise, stressing early detection as central to improving survival outcomes.

The event, held to commemorate World Cancer Day 2026 and hosted at the university’s medical centre in Lagos, brought together teaching and non-teaching staff for health talks and complimentary screening services.

Observed every February 4, World Cancer Day aims to raise awareness, improve education and encourage action on prevention, detection and treatment worldwide.

Opening the programme, the Provost of the College of Medicine, Professor Ademola Ayodele Oremosu, described early detection as central to improving survival outcomes.

“It is with great pleasure for me to be standing here to flag off the cancer awareness week.

“We should always be at the forefront in creating awareness about the ‘C’ word, cancer, that used to be dreaded, but we now know that early detection reduces the possible risk of it.”

Professor Oremosu stressed that cancers differ across age groups and gender.

“There is a need for us to emphasise that cancers vary with age based on demographic reach, patterns, and genders.

“In the female gender, we have the cancer of the cervix and the cancer of the breast. In the male gender, we have prostate cancer. There are also juvenile cancers in children.”

He noted that advances in medical science have made it easier to detect certain cancers earlier through laboratory testing.

“The beauty of knowledge and science is that a lot of the things that the cancer cells produce can easily be detected by our bio-fluids, especially blood.

“So, we are in the business of doing a lot of screening, and with screening comes earlier intervention. Better things are caught at grade one so that early intervention can take place.”

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the university and paediatrician, Professor Afolabi Lesi, echoed those concerns, describing cancer as a major cause of death both in Nigeria and globally, adding that while treatment options have improved, late presentation remains a challenge.

“Cancer is one of the major killers of people in Nigeria and around the world.

“Unlike before, early detection now helps to prevent cancer. So we must check ourselves so that if it happens, it can be checked because we know that the survival rate is high with early detection,” Lesi stressed.

He warned that many Nigerians delay seeking medical attention, sometimes worsening their condition.

“Cancer is not limited to any age, even though it’s common with certain age groups. Even in children, if you see something unusual or an unusual swollen presentation, please don’t assume it’s a boil; get it checked immediately,”
Lesi said.

The Professor, commended the department and students for driving the awareness message and noted that the screening services were offered free of charge, courtesy contributions from staff, students and well-wishers.

One of the organisers, Associate Professor Anthonia Showunmi, explained that cancer involves abnormal cell growth that can affect virtually any part of the body.

“Cancer generally is about the abnormal growth in the human being

“The body is such that it has organs, tissues and vessels and any part of the body even the organs and the blood vessels can be cancerous,” Showunmi stated.

She outlined some of the more common cancers seen locally, including breast and cervical cancer in women and prostate cancer in men, as well as gastrointestinal cancers and certain childhood cancers.

“But what we say generally is that, if you are having a particular symptoms… and it is continuous for like three months and it’s not [resolving] even with treatment, it is important for you to visit the hospital and get the proper investigation done, comprehensive, so that you will know what is wrong with you,” Showunmi
said.

She therefore, urged men over 40 to undergo prostate checks and women in the same age group to consider mammograms, and advocated breast self-examination and careful monitoring of unusual symptoms.

“For the breast, you will see a lump; that is straightforward. For the men, as they grow older, the prostate gets enlarged; it could be cancerous.

“One of the few things that the men must observe is that they have hesitancy in urinating. You could have severe back pain; it’s time for you to have a comprehensive investigation,” Showunmi

She also highlighted warning signs for cervical cancer, including abnormal bleeding and unusual discharge, urging women to seek medical advice if symptoms persist.