Inspection with Acetic acid and Lugol’s
Iodine (VIA/VILI), HPV DNA testing
which has given opportunity for self-
testing.
For breast cancer it would be breast
examinations, but unlike breast cancer
where the screen is looking for the cancer,
in cervical cancer screening we are looking
for precancerous lesions. In prostate cancer
screening would involve doing a prostate
exam and a blood test called Prostatic
Specific Antigen (PSA).
Tertiary prevention would be efforts
geared to limiting metastatis (spread of
the cancer) in the presence of primary
disease.
When all preventive measures have failed
we then move to treatment. Treatment
can involve surgery, chemotherapy,
r a d i o t h e r a p y, i m m u n o t h e r a p y,
hormonetherapy and so on. Different
cancers have different treatment options
so in say cervical cancer the mainstay
will be surgery in early disease and the
radiation therapy which is boosted with
a bit of chemotherapy. For leukemia’s the
main type of treatment is chemotherapy.
All these treatments have serious side
effects hence have not been very popular.
Side effects can be infection, bleeding,
blood clots, anaemia, hair loss, bone
marrow failure, osteoporosis, infertility
and so on. Other than the side effects the
cost of most treatments are exorbitant.
The only way the cost can come down
would be to manufacture our own
medicines and increase number of local
specialists offering this service and this
won’t happen if Kenyans don’t trust their
local doctors to treat them.
In my fertility line when you don’t see your
client they probably moved on to anoth-
er doctor or got pregnant; it’s unusual that
they have passed on just like that! In oncol-
ogy if you don’t see your client it’s a dreaded
call to relatives to make sure they are okay
and unfortunately many a time the answer
is they kept their date with St Peter!
I have friends and relatives who opted
not to go for conventional therapy and
opted for alternative remedies. I would
not advocate the use alternative therapy
other than to help control side effects of
conventional medicine and definitely not
as first line of treatment. Recent advances
in treatment have made it possible for
people to now live longer more productive
lives despite having cancer.
I may sound like a sadist but the hard
reality is that we are all going to die even
if some scientists believe they are going to
get a cure from death. I was quite shocked
at how many people seem to think that
cancer is a disease like flu or malaria or
even TB which when you diagnose you
can treat and get cured.
In many instances one can get cured
from cancer but it depends to a great
extent on how early diagnosis is made.
If caught early yes it can be cured but
the challenge comes that early cancer
usually has no symptoms so unless one
undergoes frequent screening its unlikely
to be caught early. This then means that
doctors especially oncologists will just
give treatment to delay progression of the
disease and improve quality of life, prior to
the final end which unfortunately is death.
I think this is why I chose fertility because
when you don’t see your client they
probably moved on to another doctor or
got pregnant; it’s unusual that they have
passed on just like that! In oncology if you
don’t see your client it’s a dreaded call to
relatives to make sure they are okay and
unfortunately many a time the answer is
they kept their date with St Peter!
It was with great disappointment I read
the reaction of some Kenyans to the appeal
from Kenyatta National Hospital to assist
in fund raising for the construction of a
Hospice. Being a Kenyan I understand
the outrage especially as the number of
graft cases are on the increase and yes
the Government should work tirelessly to
limit or eradicate graft.
In the meantime Wanjiku, Atieno, Wekesa,
Swaleh all common Kenyans who cannot
afford to go to some of the prestigious
state of the art hospitals here in Kenya or
to fly to the United States, France, India
as demonstrated by our more affluent
brothers need care and support. Where
will they go to get relief of their symptoms
and live their last days with dignity?
That question is open and I leave you with
my two cents crying call to see how you
can be a part of the solution and for those
of you with a conscience assist the less
fortunate members of society.
Dr. Maureen Owiti is a practicing
Obstetrician Gynaecologist and
fertility consultant based in Nairobi.
You can commune with her on this
or related matters via email at:
[email protected].