Breast cancer remains the most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer deaths among women in Nigeria. In 2020, more than 28,000 Nigerian women were diagnosed with breast cancer, resulting in over 14,000 deaths. Unfortunately, despite all efforts, many women stay without access to quality cancer care or drop out of treatment because of the high cost of care.
To ensure more women survive breast cancer, some of the best minds in cancer care services in Nigeria – Sebeccly Cancer Care, Pearl Oncology Clinic, and Oncopadi Technologies, have partnered to create the Thank God Its Friday (TGIF) Breast Clinic. This community breast cancer clinic gives women the best fighting chance for defeating cancer. Together, their goal is to support the treatment of 1,200 breast cancer patients.
Every Friday and throughout the weekend, breast cancer patients will have access to highly subsidized cancer care and psycho-social support. In addition, the TGIF Breast Clinic beneficiaries will receive up to a 40% discount on their treatment. This discount is being made possible through fundraising from kind-hearted Nigerians via several avenues – one of which is Sebeccly Cancer Care’s #1K4Cancer program, which has been instrumental in alleviating the burden of cancer care on indigent women in Nigeria.
In addition, beneficiaries of the TGIF Breast Clinic will have access to the Oncopadi Cancer App, an award-winning telemedicine platform that leverages technology, data, research, and impact of scale to decentralize cancer care services and empower cancer patients. The app connects patients with renowned oncologists via video/audio consultations and discounted health tests. Oncopadi also provides relevant cancer information via blog articles, e-books, and more, to educate cancer patients so they can make informed decisions about their health.
There is a shortage of Clinical Oncologists in Nigeria. As of today, there are only 81 Clinical Oncologists with about 30% of them based in Lagos State. As a digital health innovation company, Oncopadi is on a mission to empower confident cancer care decisions by patients, irrespective of their physical location.
All clinical services for the TGIF Breast Clinic will be coordinated and delivered by the Pearl Oncology Clinic team. Pearl Oncology Clinic is a leading multi-disciplinary cancer center that delivers humane cancer care. Located in Lekki, Lagos State, the clinic’s team is on a mission to increase access to affordable oncology services. Their team comprises cancer specialists who have an extraordinary depth of experience in diagnosing and treating all forms of cancers.
TGIF Breast Clinic services include:
• Diagnostic tests: Blood, imaging, and tissue tests.
• Quality cancer treatment: Surgery, chemotherapy, and medications. • A 40% discount on treatment.
• Cancer specialists: Consultant Clinical Oncologists, Surgeons, Oncology nurses, etc. • Support services: Nutrition, Counseling, Support Groups, welfare, and breast prosthesis
Speaking on the importance of collaboration in the fight against cancer, award-winning Oncologist, Dr. Omolola Salako, who has been at the forefront of cancer advocacy in Nigeria, says,
“We need more women to survive breast cancer and spend healthy, happy decades with their families. We can achieve this as we all join forces by combining our collective resources, skills, and talents. It is a dream come true to launch this innovative breast cancer clinic. This is why the collaboration amongst Pearl Oncology Clinic, Sebeccly Cancer Care, Oncopadi and other partners will close the care gap for more than 1,200 women this year. We want a situation where any woman who walks into the Pearl Oncology Clinic Lekki door can start and complete her treatment without treatment interruptions or drop out because of financial constraints. Still, we can’t do it on our own, and this is why we’re calling on kind-hearted Nigerians and people who want to give back, or if you have been affected by cancer, we encourage you to join us and also to support the Thank God It’s Friday Breast Clinic.”
The TGIF Breast Clinic is on a mission to save women from breast cancer, and they need your support to make this happen. You can support their efforts to help 1,200 women battle breast cancer by making a monetary donation: https://paystack.com/pay/sebecclycancercare
For more updates about TGIF Breast Clinic, visit www.sebecclycancercare.org and follow on Instagram:
@pearloncology
@sebecclycancersupport
@oncopadi