CANCER ADVOCACY NIGERIA

A Heavy Burden

Cancer is a large group of diseases that can start in almost any organ or tissue of the body when abnormal cells grow uncontrollably, go beyond their usual boundaries to invade adjoining parts of the body and/or spread to other organs.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally, accounting for an estimated 9.6 million deaths, or one in six deaths, in 2018. Lung, prostate, colorectal, stomach and liver cancer are the most common types of cancer in men, while breast, colorectal, lung, cervical and thyroid cancer are the most common among women.

The cancer burden continues to grow globally, exerting tremendous physical, emotional and financial strain on individuals, families, communities and health systems. Many health systems in low- and middle-income countries like Nigeria are least prepared to manage this burden, and large numbers of cancer patients in the country do not have access to timely or quality diagnosis and treatment.

Purpose

We are a volunteer-led charity for the awareness, prevention and control of cancers in Nigeria. CANCAD supports people living with cancer and their loved ones. We also advocate for health policy reform with relevant stakeholders as well as carry out cancer-related research.

The Scale of The Problem

According to data from the WHO's Global Cancer Observatory, there were over 127, 000 new cases of cancer in Nigeria in 2022, with about 79, 000 deaths.

The country has over 70% mortality rate from cancers when adjusted for age.

The 5 most common cancers in both sexes were Breast Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Cancer of the Cervix, Colo-Rectal Cancer and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (a cancer affecting a type of blood cell). Almost half of the women who get diagnosed with breast cancer in Nigeria die from it, and prostate and cervical cancer are not far behind in that regard.

Find out more about cancer statistics in Nigeria here. WHO Global Cancer Observatory Country Fact Sheets

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NEWS

World Cancer Day 2026

United by Unique

Cancer doesn’t look the same on everyone.

Different stories. Different battles. One fight.

This year, we stand UNITED BY UNIQUE for awareness, early detection, hope and compassion for everyone affected by cancer.

🎗️ WORLD CANCER DAY — by CANCAD

Listen to your body.

Speak up.

Act early.

NICRAT International Cancer Week Abuja 2025

We were well represented at the ICW 2025 Abuja by Michael Erhayamen (On-Site Patient Navigation Lead) and Dr, Blessed Imoudu (Executive Board Member).

It held from October 13 to 17 at the Nigerian Army Conference Centre Maitama, nd The Theme for the year was

REDEFINING THE FUTURE OF CANCER: PREVENTION, ACCESS AND EQUITY FOR ALL

Our Team Presented a Paper from the Research Team; Patient Navigation Programs in Cancer Care in Africa - A Scoping Review

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