'Cancer patients need love and support'

A senior nurse at the Omuthiya hospital who is also a breast cancer survivor says all cancer patients need the support and love of their family and friends in order to overcome the deadly disease.Christophina Nikanor, a mother of two, shared her story on Saturday at the Ongwediva MediPark Private Hospital''s fifth annual breast, cervical and prostate cancer awareness campaign.Women and men received free cancer screening at the event held at Omuthiya in the Oshikoto Region.Nikanor said on 1 July 2009 she went to see a doctor in Windhoek about a lump in her left breast.A week after tests were done, the doctor called her to his office and spoke three words that changed her life: “You have cancer.”She was immediately scheduled for a mastectomy.“When I returned home I shared my situation with my children who were so upset and did not say anything because all they thought of was that they were going to be orphans,” she said. Nikanor said the surgery was followed by chemotherapy. She said she had no worriers then because her family and friends supported her and took care of her children.“I knew there were people who were taking care of me and I also did not worry that much about my children because my family was there for me,” she said.“All we need as cancer patients is your love and care.”Nikanor said the first chemotherapy course went well although there were side-effects such as body aches and fatigue.When she lost her hair due to the chemotherapy, her daughter and a friend had their heads shaved in solidarity.She said their support motivated her to keep on fighting and after six courses of chemotherapy she went for radiotherapy, which was successful in eradicating the cancer.Nikanor said she fought breast cancer and won, and therefore all cancer patients have the possibility of overcoming the disease.Former first lady Penexupifo Pohamba, who is the patron of the campaign, said many people are now able to survive breast cancer when it is detected early and treated.Pohamba also urged all men to go for prostate cancer screening because early detection is the best protection.“We need to continue raising awareness about prostate cancer and at the same time promote regular testing for early detection. This will help men to better understand the current treatment options available for them,” Pohamba said.The Cancer Association of Namibia''s 2014 report stated that 1 685 people were diagnosed with breast cancer between 2010 and 2014. In the same period 1 140 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer while 1 124 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer.“I call upon on all health workers, government officials and private businesses to help promote and advance the significance of this initiative. We need to realise that breast, cervical and prostate cancer pose a threat to the survival of our people and we cannot afford more cancer deaths given the information at our disposal,” Pohamba said. KENYA KAMBOWE

'Cancer patients need love and support'

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-07

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'Cancer patients need love and support'

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-07

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