A Clinical Consultant and Radiation Oncologist at the NSIA-LUTH Cancer Center, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria, Dr. Adewumi Alabi, has stressed the need to invest more in clinical research in breast cancer so as to allow practitioners to win the war against the disease.
For him, the importance of clinical research in breast cancer care cannot be overemphasized in the treatment of the disease.
Dr Alabi made the remarks when Pfizer, a pharmaceutical firm, held a virtual Media Roundtable to deliberate on breast cancer and its treatment options.
The virtual Media Roundtable was held as part of activities by the company to mark this year’s breast cancer month.
The month of October has been designated as the Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual campaign to raise awareness about the impact of breast cancer.
Pfizer consider the breast cancer awareness month as an important “opportunity to reaffirm its commitment to changing the lives of people with breast cancer for the better.”
The company contributes to the treatment of patients with breast cancer across the world.
Dr Alabi during the virtual forum expressed the importance of such exercises, saying “These forums are critical as they allow us to share our best insights and findings that can support patients in winning the battle against cancer.”
For him, breast cancer itself is one of the deadliest diseases with a high prevalence in Ghana and Nigeria, noting that “on a positive note, we now have evidence-based updates and real-world data showing the efficacy of prescriptions in the management of HR+ HER2- mBC patients.”
In 2020 the World Health organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer, Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBACAN) reported 28,380 and 4,482 new cases of breast cancer for Nigeria and Ghana respectively 1, 2.
Other speakers, such as Kodjo Soroh, the Medical Director East & Anglo West Africa, noted that “Oncology remains a key therapeutic field for Pfizer in which we are working to deliver medical breakthroughs that have the potential to change patients’ lives across the region significantly and we are proud of these achievements, and we thank our media members, colleagues, HCPs and everyone for this event.”
For his part, Dr. Joel Yarney, Consultant (Radiotherapy and Oncology) and Director National Centre for Radiotherapy Oncology & Nuclear Medicine, Korle-bu Teaching Hospital, said the transformative impact of science on breast cancer is evident within the breast cancer community.
He explained that “While we’ve made meaningful change for those living with this disease, our work is far from finished,” adding “It is crucial for patients who have been diagnosed with breast cancer or even metastatic breast cancer to have the right information and expectations.”
For him, “It is our duty to encourage patients to have open conversations with their healthcare teams to understand how they can be supported and how they can participate in their own care – taking an active role in their treatment can help them feel empowered in making the best decisions for themselves.”
BY BENEDICTA GYIMAA FOLLEY
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