She was eventually diagnosed with breast cancer last year after having engaged the services of traditional healers.
“I just had no idea what was happening to me because I had never heard of cancer. I noticed the pimple in 2010 but I only sought help from Mupunhu clinic in 2012. They referred me to Kutama Hospital and then I was told to go Parirenyatwa Hospital.
“At this point I realised that it was something serious. It took me some time to visit Parirenyatwa because I did not have money for transport,” narrated Kandururu.
She was diagnosed with breast cancer in April 2012 after years of pain without knowledge of the existence of cancer.
For many women, breast cancer is the most frightening of all diseases because they have little knowledge of the steps that can be taken reduce chances of getting it, says Molifia Manyasha, a dietician in the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare.
A key preventative measure is a good diet. “Women can control and maintain their weight by eating healthily. Most people confuse expensive food with healthy eating. Really it just entails food portion control and correct preparation of food,” said Manyasha.
“Do you know that a 750ml bottle of cooking oil should last for a month for a family of five. But most households are using one per week. When preparing food, most people do not even measure the fat they use. So one ends up consuming fat that is enough for eight people,” she added.
According to the Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Survey for 2010/11, seven percent of women in the country are too thin while 31percent are overweight or obese.
Obesity is higher in urban areas than in rural areas (41 percent and 26 percent, respectively) and increases with age and wealth. Women in Harare are most likely to be overweight or obese, according to ZDHS statistics.
Manyasha explained that fat tissue produces excess amounts of estrogen, which puts women at risk of breast and other cancers. So women should try to reduce extra pounds by eating healthy and exercising.
“Try and take 30 minutes of exercise every day because obesity has been linked to many kinds of cancer. Do not try to lose weight by skipping meals, you should take food in small portions instead,” she added.
Breast cancer is the second most common cancer affecting women in Zimbabwe with the National Cancer Registry saying about 7,000 women in the country were diagnosed with the disease annually. Statistics show that an estimated one in eight women will have breast cancer in their lifetime.
At least 80 percent of Zimbabwean women are not aware that they should be screened and cannot begin to decipher the gravity of the risk they face. Manyasha emphasized the need for engaging cancer prevention strategies, saying as dieticians they were lobbying for the labeling of food items with danger warning signs so that people clearly know the right food to consume.
“We carried out a survey last year and discovered that some manufacturers were placing false labels on goods so as to attract consumers. There are companies purporting to be selling iodized salt but we tested the salt and realised that it had no iodine at all,” she said.
Manyasha said women should be wary of traditional healers who were prescribing bizarre medicines for the treatment of cancer.
“At the moment there are no medically tested traditional herbs that have been proven to cure cancer. Women should seek medical treatment from doctors,” said Manyasha.
Breast cancer is treated in several ways depending on the type and the extent to which it has spread. Treatment includes surgery, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, biologic therapy, and radiation, with those with breast cancer often getting more than one type of treatment.
Speaking while officially opening the breast cancer clinic and state of the art mammogram screening equipment at Parirenyatwa Hospital in October last year, Vice President Joyce Mujuru said deaths caused by cancer-related illnesses were unacceptably high because people presented themselves late for diagnosis and treatment.
Though early detection and treatment can improve the quality of life for women and reduce unnecessary deaths from breast and other cancers, lack of knowledge remains a challenge.
Cancer Association of Zimbabwe Knowledge Manager, Tafadzwa Chigariro, said cancer awareness remains as a stumbling block in the fight against cancer.
“Our service delivery is not encouraging at the moment, we have limited resources and it is difficult to reach many people country wide. We have discovered that lack of knowledge is causing most cancer related deaths. Our cancer centres in Bulawayo and Mutare are not functional due to lack of funding. We will continue to appeal to policy makers to intervene,” said Chigariro.
Post published in: News