Tips from Nigeria on teaching teens about breast and cervical cancer

Globally, one in six women will develop cancer in her lifetime, and one in 11 will die. Incidences of cancer are lower in women in developing countries, but they have higher cancer deaths rates than women in the developed world. The two top cancers for women are breast and cervical. Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in women living in developing countries. Cervical cancer is the second most common. Great strides have been made in preventing these two cancers in developed countries. If diagnosed early it’s increasingly possible to treat some, if not all the various breast and cervical cancers. But preventative interventions – ranging from vaccination, screening, diagnostic and treatment programmes – cost money that few governments across the continent have. This – along with socioeconomic issues – contributes to the poor outcomes in developing countries.