Cancer is a terrible disease that develops without being noticed, with the symptoms only becoming obvious in advanced stage.

Speaking in Yaounde on May 3, 2016, at the opening of 7^th Euro-African Cancer Conference organised by a charity, Solidarité Chimiotherapie, SOCHIMIO, the Minister of Public Health, André Mama Fouda, rolled out chilling statistics on the prevalence of the disease, with almost 14,000 new cases recorded in Cameroon in 2012. However, most of them were diagnosed late, thus significantly reducing the chances of survival of the patients.

According to 2012 figures by the International Agency for Cancer Research, Globocan, there were 13,781 new cases in Cameroon, while the Register of Cancers in Cameroon talked of 4,689 cases. Out of the number, the most common among men were cancer of the prostate and cancer of the liver. Globocan put the figure at 1,135 or 8.2 per cent of the total for prostate cancer; while the Register of Cancers in Cameroon recorded 342 new cases, giving 7.3 per cent of the overall figure. On the other hand, cancer of the liver had 727 cases or 5.3 per cent as reported by Globocan as against 321 or 6.9 per cent by the Register of Cancers in Cameroon.

Amongst women, the most common cancers were those of the breast, ovary, uterus and Lymphoma. Globocan reported 2,625 breast cancer cases, giving 19 per cent of the total, while the Register of Cancers in Cameroon had 869 cases, giving 18.5 per cent of the overall number. Cancer of the uterus, according to Globocan, had 1,993 cases, giving 14.5 per cent of the total; as against 651 cases reported by the Register of Cancers in Cameroon, making 13.8 per cent. Similarly, Lymphoma had 801 cases or 9.6 per cent, while cancer of the ovary had 351 cases or 4.2 per cent.

Globocan said 950 Lymphoma cancer cases were reported in 2012, giving 62.4 per cent of the total. It was followed by Leukemia, 109 cases or 7.2 per cent, and Liver cancer at 75 cases or 4.9 per cent. A total of 1,522 cancer cases in children or 11 per cent of the total were recorded by Globocan in 2012. The Register of Cancers in Cameroon talked of 382 cases or 8.1 per cent of the overall figure. According to the Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services, two out of every 10 children are diagnosed with cancer; with the most common being ‘Burkitt Lymphoma.’