This archive report was first published on 2 August 2019.
Kenya: Mursik Cancer Link Debunked by Experts ¶
Published on August 2, 2019
Claims linking mursik, a traditionally fermented milk, to throat cancer have been disputed by cancer experts in Kenya. According to the experts, no conclusive research has been conducted to determine the claims.
Recent data from the National Cancer Registry at the Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri) shows that 30 percent of men in Bomet suffer from oesophageal cancer, 18 percent prostate cancer, and 12 percent stomach cancer. In women, oesophageal cancer is the leading cause, with 22 percent, followed by cervical cancer at 5.6 percent.
While frequent drinking of mursik has been cited as the leading cause of cancer of the oesophagus in the greater Rift Valley and parts of northern Kenya, Dr Elias Melly, an oncologist at Alexandria Cancer Centre, has disputed the conclusion. Dr Melly pointed out that the sample was drawn from Tenwek Hospital, known for screening throat and other cancers.
