By Dan-Maryam Zayamu
Foods, including roasted beef, also known as ‘suya’ in Nigeria, and roasted fish prepared through the use of naked fire can cause cancer, an expert has warned.
Prof Bukola Folashade Adeyemi of the University College Ibadan, disclosed this at a one-day oral cancer training with the theme: ‘The use of artificial intelligence in the early detection of oral cancer and oral potentially malignant disorders,’ organized by Cleft and Facial Deformity Foundation in Abuja, at the weekend
She, therefore, advised Nigerians to avoid excessive intake of foods prepared by the use of naked fire.
“Another very important thing in our society is the excessive use of foods that are prepared over naked flames, they are dangerous, especially in individuals that are constantly being exposed to them.
“They include suya, roasted fish, and all those roasted things that are done over naked fire. They contain what we call established carcinogens.
“So, we are not saying that we should not eat them, but things should be done in moderation. Moderation should be established in most of the things that we do.”
According to her, even though oral cancer is not too prevalent in Nigeria, she, however, said that its impact is devastating.
“Over 1000 cases of oral cancer are diagnosed every year and over 700 of that number die. That is means that over 50 per cent of people that are diagnosed die of oral cancer every year. That is enormous because these are people that are very important to some people.”
While calling for regular dental checks, she said: “We encourage early diagnosis. This is because if a disease affects a single person in the population, the individual and the close friends are at a loss.
“We talk about early diagnosis, we talk about avoidance of established risk factors. “
On the risk factors that causes oral cancer, the Dentistry Professor said: “The most important risks factors are tobacco and alcohol. They alter the way the human body use to handle reactive oxygen species. Individual that avoid these things give themselves a reduced risk of having oral cancer.
“I am not saying that it is only people that are expose to these factors are the only ones that have oral cancer, some people that have some genetic anomaly within them, they have aberration.
“What we advice people is that they should avoid exposure to these agents. These days, some young people don’t smoke again, they use what they call e-smoking, they also use other gadgets call shishan and the rest, they are still dangerous.
“We try to advice people to avoid perverse ways of sexual behavior such as oral sex, avoidance of agents that have been associated with carsinogenesis.”
“Other risks factors for oral cancer is continuous infection. We advise people to visit a dentist at least twice a year and when you cant make it twice, at least visit your dentist once in a year.”
Speaking, the convener of the training, Dr. Bello Alokun, explained that artificial intelligence is an advancement in technology where the use of computers, information obtained from a patient could be used to actually predict with more than 90 per cent accuracy the fact that somebody could develop cancer in another ten years.
To that extent, according to him, “it makes it easier for practitioners to keep a better eye on such people and thereby picking oral cancer at its infancy when it is just developing. Early detection means that we can cure cancer in a particular victim.
“Artificial intelligence is actually in its rudimentary stage in Nigeria. Its use is being explored in different aspects of medicine and other aspects of science. Nigeria is close to zero level.
“We are collaborating to promote the links that can predict when one can develop oral cancer and to spread information among Nigerians about the use of artificial intelligence and about oral cancer generally because early detection is the key.”
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