This archive report was first published on 26 July 2019.
Published on July 26, 2019, a report by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) has revealed that oesophageal cancer is the deadliest type of cancer in Kenya.
The report, presented before a parliamentary committee, states that out of 4,380 new oesophageal cancer cases reported annually, there are 4,351 deaths, leaving only 29 people alive.
This translates to a survival rate of only two out of 365 people diagnosed with oesophageal cancer in a month, making it one of the deadliest killer types of cancer in the country.
According to the data, breast and cervical cancers form the highest number of new cancer cases, followed by oesophagus, prostate, and colorectal cancers.
Dr. Alfred Karagu, the acting CEO of the NCI, told the MPs that 65% of all cancer cases were diagnosed at advanced stages, either stage three or four, based on data collected at Kenyatta National Hospital between 2014 and 2016.
The NCI is working with devolved governments to promote cancer screening and strengthen cancer diagnostic services, but the institute faces financial constraints and infrastructural challenges, including a lack of office space and inadequate staffing.
