Expert seeks end to rising cases of liver cancer in Nigeria

The newly-elected president of the European-African-Hepato-Pancreato-Bilary Association (E-AHPBA) Nigeria chapter, Professor Rowland Ndoma-Egba, has urged Nigeria to lead the crusade in researching on liver cancer and come up with sustainable solutions.

Expressing concern over the pervasiveness of the fourth-deadliest and fifth commonest ailment in the country, the immediate past Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, stated: “Liver cancer is the fifth commonest in Nigeria and the fourth deadliest and over 60 per cent of our liver cancer patients are aged between 20 and 50 years.”

Ndoma-Egba, who was speaking during the inauguration of the association in Calabar, Cross River State, added: “Cancer of the pancreas is raging with very high mortality and gallstone disease that was said to be rare is now quite common. This is the time for relevant stakeholders to intervene to save the lives of young Nigerians.

“End-stage liver disease like cirrhosis that could benefit from liver transplantation is becoming quite common. This is the time for relevant stakeholders to intervene to save young Nigerians.”

The ex-Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) advised the most populous black nation to champion the development of a specialty to tackle the scourge in West Africa.

Also speaking, president of the International Hepato-Pancreato-Billary-Association (IHPBA), Professor Martin Smith, commended the inauguration of the Nigeria chapter, promising to support the body in achieving its mission.

The chapter was birthed after an advanced course, “Improving the Standard of Care in Hepato-pancreato-biliary Surgery in Nigeria”, ran by a foreign faculty and facilitated by IHPBA.

The organisation is devoted to the amelioration of human suffering caused by hepato-pancreato-biliary disorders by improving education, training, innovation and patient care globally.