Societal Perceptions of Breast Cancer among Elderly Women in Nigeria

Abstract

The study examined the impact of the societal perceptions of breast cancer among elderly women on both its care and prevention in south-eastern Nigeria. A representative sample of adult members of the population was drawn in three local government areas in Enugu State. The study drew its rationale from the recognition that the societal perceptions of the causes, nature and management of breast cancer can make a major difference in whether aged women in Nigeria afflicted by breast cancer survive or not. The data were collected using a multistage sampling technique that consisted of a questionnaire and in-depth interviews. It was found that there is a need for more awareness creation, sensitivity workshops and the committed involvement of social workers, counsellors and allied professionals in providing care and counselling for elderly women, as they are often perceived as lying beyond reproductive health ailments in popular discourse.

Social and Institutional Support in Breast Cancer Management among Elderly Women in Nigeria

“…Recent studies have revealed that the public health institutions played an insignificant role in the management and care of breast cancer among elderly women in Nigeria [20]. According to the study also, 26.1% of the respondents used in the study were of the opinion that most people affected by breast cancer in the state make use of the public health institutions in the state, while 73.9% were of a contrary opinion.…”

“…"there is a relationship between income and awareness of breast cancer occurrence among elderly women because most rich people nowadays usually go for routine medical check-ups both within the country and abroad and this creates a lot of awareness on diseases such as breast cancer" [20] The above gained credibility from the opinion of Ashing-Giwa [21] that financial constraints can serve as a barrier to the use of breast cancer preventive and control measures like mammography as women who are living at or below the poverty level have to struggle with competing issues such as food, shelter, safety and employment that take precedence over their own health and well-being. Therefore, given that improved income often results from higher education, this impacts on one's awareness and knowledge generally.…”

“…"How can someone afflicted with a disease as serious as breast cancer depend on the government hospitals for treatment and survival? Most times, if the doctors are not on strike, the nurses and other members of staff are on their own strike and worse still, sometimes, you are told that some of the drugs or equipment are either out of use or completely spoilt" [20] These sentiments capture the extent of distrust people have in the public health institutions in the state when it comes to such diseases as cancer treatment, and this distrust of the public health institutions to assist elderly women suffering from breast cancer is not peculiar to Nigeria since it has been reported that some doctors in public health institutions are reluctant to consider surgery and resort to "tamoxifen" (an effective anticancer drug) because it is easier to administer, but several studies have proven that the cancer will eventually grow and spread if a tumor is not first removed surgically, even if the patient continues to take the drug [23]. In their study, a group of scholars in their study of elderly Swiss women with breast cancer stated that the under treatment of elderly women with breast cancer is usually often based on the belief that they do not tolerate treatment and that among the Swiss many elderly women with breast cancer died because they did not receive full or appropriate treatment for their diseases; consequently, breast cancer patients over age 80 who did not receive adequate treatment had a much higher death rate from their cancer than women who did receive proper treatment [24].…”

“…According to Mitchelle and Lorenz [19] and Anugwom [25], it was also revealed that the respondents who said that public health institutions should not be trusted further stated that when afflicted by the disease, the best places to be visit would be private hospitals and chemists/pharmacists giving 27.2 and 25.2% of the respondents, respectively. This in some way underlines a gross lack of faith and trust of people in government hospitals as one of the IDI respondents supported these opinions saying:…”

“…This is unlike the private hospitals where both the doctors and Social and Institutional Support in Breast Cancer Management among Elderly Women in Nigeria DOI: http://dx.doi.org /10.5772/intechopen.88748 the nurses are usually friendly and treat their patients with utmost care in order to retain their patients and the reputations of their hospitals as their continued stay in the business and daily bread depend on these. Therefore, even though private hospitals are usually more expensive, people still prefer to use them for their treatments or where the patient comes from a wealthy family, she is flown out of the country to such countries as India, Germany and the US for treatment" [20] Interestingly also, another 47.6% of the respondents stated that people afflicted by breast cancer go to spiritual houses and herbalists, and this was buttressed by the fact that even key persons in the interview who were mostly doctors, public health officers and nurses were also of the opinion that sometimes, these diseases manifest as a result of charms and spells cast on people through evil means and given that God is omnipotent and can cure all sorts of diseases, He can also destroy the evil effects of the spell and heal the patients of their ailments.…”