The National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT) has called for the integration of cancer prevention and screening into family planning services across primary health centres in Nigeria to improve early detection and reduce cancer-related deaths.
The call was made during a three-day training programme on integrating cancer prevention into family planning services, organised by NICRAT in collaboration with the Ebonyi State Ministry of Health in Abakaliki, the state capital.
Director-General of NICRAT, Prof. Usman Aliyu, represented by a Senior Scientific Officer, Mr. Musa Terere, said the programme, which is ongoing across the six geo-political zones of the country, is designed to allow women to access breast and cervical cancer screenings while receiving family planning services at primary health centres.
Prof. Aliyu explained that breast cancer, which often presents with painless breast or armpit lumps and bloody nipple discharge, is the most common cancer among Nigerian women, while cervical cancer, caused by long-term infection with the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), is the second most common.
He stressed that both diseases are highly treatable when detected early.
The NICRAT chief executive said the agency, established in 2017, is mandated to coordinate cancer research, prevention, and treatment in Nigeria, covering breast, prostate, cervical, brain, and blood cancers.
He asserted that late presentation remains one of the biggest challenges in cancer management in the country.
“If people go to the hospital on time and get screened, cancer can be detected early, and most cases are curable.
“Unfortunately, many people present very late when the disease has spread, leaving only management as an option,” he said.
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The Ebonyi State Team Lead for NICRAT’s integration of cancer prevention services into the family planning pilot study, Dr. Maureen Okeke, described the programme as an awareness-driven intervention aimed at helping people understand their health status and the importance of early screening.
She explained that family planning services provide a strategic platform to educate women of childbearing age about cancer, while also creating awareness about prostate cancer among their spouses to promote early detection and community-wide enlightenment.
Dr. Okeke disclosed that although the pilot study is currently being implemented in Abakaliki Local Government Area, NICRAT is working with media organisations and community mobilisers to expand the campaign to other parts of the state.
She added that NICRAT would provide primary health centres with training and screening kits by 2026, noting that the institute is also responsible for cancer diagnosis, treatment, and palliative care.
She commended the coordinating federal minister of health and social welfare for his support and urged health workers to maintain high ethical standards in service delivery.
Dr. Okeke also encouraged members of the public to take advantage of the services at primary health centres, saying the integration of cancer prevention into family planning would greatly reduce the risk of undetected cancer cases, especially among women.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Moses Ekuma, described the initiative as a lifesaving intervention but lamented that many women often present at hospitals with advanced-stage cancers, leaving doctors with limited treatment options.
He stressed that most cancer-related deaths are preventable through early detection.
