A Systemic Review of Incidence of Cancer and Challenges to its Treatment
in Nigeria
Njaka SRN*
Ebonyi State University, Nursing Science, Presco Campus Abaki Ebonyi State, Abakaliki, Nigeria
Abstract
This study systematically reviewed the incidence of cancer and the challenges to its treatment in Nigeria.
Critical and in depth review of the studies available on the condition was done with the aim of identifying the status
of cancer in Nigeria and challenges to treatment. The basic finding was that Nigeria has been under the bondage
of cancer with little or nothing being done by both Nigerian government and international agencies to alleviate the
suffering. The most current data on cancer was in 2012 and revealed that newly diagnosed cases of cancer in
Nigeria per year was at 102000 people while 71,000 died from cancers. This presented Nigeria at the fore front
of African countries with cancer cases. Since 2012 till date no data is available on the status of cancer in Nigeria.
The studies further revealed the challenges facing cancer care to include the following: poor health system, lack
of human resource, lack of screening centers, cost of drug. In conclusion, cancer cases are in a pandemic level in
Nigeria evidenced by uncountable people who died of it daily. Nigeria health system is ill equipped to withstand the
situation coupled with her current dilapidated economic state. Further studies should be carried out in the different
geopolitical zones as to obtain a comprehensive data on the status of cancer in Nigeria.
