GLOBAL HEALTH & DEVELOPMENT

editor's note

I remember when my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer over a decade ago. A routine mammogram yielded a result that prompted a radiographer to say, "Sure looks like cancer to me." (Yikes!) Next came a biopsy; an oncologist confirmed that there was indeed a malignant tumor in the right breast. We went for a second opinion and that oncologist saw something concerning in the left breast. Turned out to be a cancerous tumor as well.

A surgeon recommended a double mastectomy because as he told my wife, "I can tell you'll always worry about recurrence if you have lumpectomies." That seemed a bit presumptuous considering he'd only just met her. Again, we went for a second opinion and were told that survival odds were comparable with either surgical procedure.

I'm sharing this story to point up how cancer is a complicated and sometimes confusing disease, very common and very personal all at the same time. And in some parts of the world, the challenge of facing cancer is even more daunting because of a lack of healthcare resources.

This week, reporter Durrie Bouscaren reports on on how cancer plays out in Nigeria, where the World Health Organization indicates that the number of new cases is rapidly rising.

One woman said she had to wait weeks for her diagnosis because the biopsy had to be sent to a facility far from her hometown. Just finding a cancer specialist can be daunting. In Nigeria, where she lives, there are approximately 80 oncologists for a population of 240 million. This breast cancer patient even had to go out and purchase her chemo drugs. She also faced the stigma that breast cancer carries in her community.

Despite these obstacles, this mother of three girls went through treatment and is today in good health. Reflecting on her experience, she says, "“I still insist that my life is worth more than any trauma or emotional issue” -- and she wants to make sure the women around her feel the same. 

Read the story here.

Marc Silver,
Editor, global health