The Kilifi County health department has raised concern over an increase in cancer cases in the region as the county government steps up efforts to improve screening, early detection and treatment.
Oncologists at Kilifi County Referral Hospital (KCRH) say at least 10 cancer cases are being identified every week through mobile screening programmes, with the number potentially higher if more residents participated in screening.
Dr Amina Zuma, an oncology clinician, said prostate cancer remains the most common cancer reported among men in the county, with many patients seeking treatment only after the disease has reached an advanced stage.
“Cancer in Kilifi is on the rise and the most common cancer in males is prostate cancer. Hence, males need to be screened because most of the cases we are getting here are mostly at stage four, which we are treating as palliative,” Dr Zuma said.
She urged residents to seek screening early, noting that early detection gives patients a better opportunity to receive appropriate treatment.
Among women, Dr Zuma identified cervical and breast cancer as major concerns. She said the county government had invested in screening equipment and prevention programmes, including HPV screening and vaccination.
“For females, the most common cancer is cervical cancer and the county has invested a lot in screening HPV and immunization of girls under the age of 10 years,” she said.
Dr Zuma said increased public awareness campaigns by the county health department and partners, including the Aga Khan Foundation, had encouraged more residents to seek cancer screening.
“We are doing screening at the grassroots level and treating precancerous lesions and we’re also doing chemotherapy which is being catered for by the Social Health Authority (SHA),” she said.
Doctors urge people with family history to seek early screening
Dr Isaac Wachira, a clinical pharmacist specialising in oncology, urged people with a strong family history of cancer to begin screening early.
He said some genetic factors can increase the risk of certain cancers, making regular screening particularly important for families with a history of the disease.
“For those people who have a long family history or a strong family history of cancer, from their paternal or maternal sides, they need to go for screening,” Dr Wachira said.
He added that some genes can predispose women to breast cancer and men to prostate cancer, making screening an important tool for early detection.
“That’s why screening of men above 40 years of age is recommended,” he said.
Dr Wachira also cautioned cancer patients against abandoning conventional treatment in favour of unverified herbal medicines.
He said medicines used in conventional cancer treatment undergo testing for safety and effectiveness, while some herbal remedies have not been certified for cancer treatment.
“The drugs that are in conventional use have undergone a rigorous process of drug development, testing for safety and efficacy,” he said.
Dr Wachira said some patients who turn to herbal remedies eventually return to hospital when the cancer has spread, changing the goal of treatment from potentially curative care to palliative care.
“Sometimes they come when they’re so debilitated that we’re not even able to give them chemotherapy if they were candidates for chemotherapy,” he added.
According to Dr Wachira, some herbal preparations may also cause liver injury, potentially complicating cancer treatment.
Kilifi cancer centre expands access to treatment
KCRH Chief Executive Officer Dr Gilbert Angore said the newly established cancer centre had reduced the burden on patients who previously had to travel long distances to access specialised cancer services.
He said the hospital invested in staff training before launching the centre, with doctors and nurses receiving specialised training in Egypt.
“Before we endeavoured to open a cancer center, we went for capacity building, that is training of doctors and nurses in Egypt. Then we went to our partners like Aga Khan Foundation who helped us put a cancer center here and we have started with outpatient services,” Dr Angore said.
He added that a specialist based at Malindi Sub-County Hospital refers patients to KCRH when they require chemotherapy.
Dr Angore said the hospital plans to expand the cancer department and establish a dedicated ward for cancer patients.
“Once we expand this department, we will have a special ward for cancer patients with special services, special food and personnel to handle them and we are going to train more doctors, clinicians and nurses and recruit more staff,” he said.
For 67-year-old Valentine Katana from Madunguni village in Malindi Sub-County, the cancer centre has provided much-needed access to treatment closer to home.
Katana said he was diagnosed after seeking care at Malindi Sub-County Hospital before being referred to KCRH, where he underwent screening and further tests.
“I realized my cancer at Malindi Sub County hospital and I was referred here in Kilifi and that’s when the process began. I have started the medicine and I pray that I get healed,” he said.
