Cancer survivors should have a formal place in planning and care, President/ CEO of the Nigerian Cancer Society (NCS), Prof. Abidemi Omonisi, said in a brief interview with our correspondent.
“United by Unique” is this year’s awareness theme, Prof. Omonisi said, and it means every patient’s story is different.
“Every cancer patient has a unique story,” he said. “We must be united.”
Prof. Omonisi warned that many national and state committees do not include survivors.
“Many times we form a national committee on cancer, they are not represented, they are not there. People that have no cancer speak for people that have cancer,” he said.
He argued that survivors bring first-hand knowledge of denial, treatment and life after care that health workers alone cannot provide.
He also stressed that cancer care requires many specialists working together — surgeons, pathologists, oncology nurses, radiographers, counsellors and psycho-oncologists — and that survivors and advocates should be part of that team.
Prof. Omonisi urged policy makers to include patients in planning, saying stronger survivor representation would improve services, help reduce stigma and guide more practical support for people living with and beyond cancer.
