The number of recorded cancer patients increased by over 4,000 in 2016, the Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI) says. Of the 4,000 new patients, 1,500 actually succumbed to the disease.
Dr Noleb Mugisha, the head of Comprehensive Community Programme at UCI, says that this is a big number compared to the 3,500 cancer cases registered in 2015. The institute now has over 40,000 patients undergoing treatment.
He attributes the big number of deaths to patients reporting late for treatment when the cancer has already spread in the body.
“[We registered] up to 4,000 new cancer patients. Also, the patients that we are treating for cancer, am talking about patients who are living with cancer, some have completed their treatment and have been declared cured, some are continuing their treatment but they are coming to Uganda Cancer Institute, last year we saw 40,000. So we have 40,000 patients being followed up for cancer and we have 4,000 new cancer patients” said Mugisha.
According to Mugisha, 2,500 patients die of cervical cancer every year which is the leading cancer in Uganda followed by prostate and breast cancer. He encourages parents to take their children aged between 9 and 13 years to get immunised against cancer of the cervix.
“We vaccinate girls who are 9-13 years in Mulago hospital and many other government hospitals. Immunisation clinics actually have this vaccine, so you just show up [and get vaccinated]. But also older people can also get vaccinated. The only thing is that the government is not vaccinating the older people who are beyond 13 years. And the reason is, many Ugandans by the age of 14-15 years, they already have this virus. So, when you vaccinate them, you are actually wasting the vaccine”, he added.
He adds that every week, the institute operates on over 20 patients most of whom are cervical cancer patients. He however notes that surgery treatment can only be beneficial to patients whose cancers are in early stages.
Dr Jackson Orem, the UCI executive director, attributes the increased number of cancer cases to increased awareness about screening and treatment. He notes that in a bid to increase cancer treatment access, UCI has expanded and operationalised the theatre for surgery of cancer patients. This is in addition to chemotherapy where a patient is treated using a combination of drugs.
“Partly of course, we’re improving our awareness and that means those who in the past would not come for care are now actually coming for care…The diagnosis is improving, there used to be a time when you used to hear someone has died of ‘unknown’ illness. These days, you dont hear too many of such cases and actually some of those ‘unknown’ illnesses were cancers”, Orem says.
The increase in number of cancer patients comes at a time when Uganda’s only radiotherapy machine Cobalt 60 broke down in March last year leaving thousands of patients stranded.
Dr Orem says construction of the bunker to house the new radiotherapy machine is also on course and that manufacturing of the machine has also started.
“The construction of the modern radiotherapy bunker is going on very very well. We’re almost halfway the process. And also, am sure you have also heard that we’re getting the machine from Vienna; which is going to be coming in a couple of months. It is already being manufactured. Am also in touch with the company which is doing that manufacturing from the Czech republic and in February they are going to be here to come and see where the machine is going to be put.” He said.
Meanwhile as a way of increasing knowledge about cancer, UCI in partnership with American Cancer Society have developed materials aimed at educating the public on what they need to know about the disease.
The booklets were developed after a research by the institute indicated that many of the patients, caretakers and health workers lack basic information about management of the disease, signs and symptoms, patient care and treatment.
The booklets are written in English and translated in Luganda and they educate the public about caring for cancer patients, symptoms and diagnosis, side effects of treatment, palliative care needs among others. These will be distributed to patients, caretakers and organisations at no cost.
Cancer develops when normal body cells change and begin to grow in an abnormal and uncontrolled way.