All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd.), “obviously has testicular cancer,” popular sickle cell activist Pamela Mojekwu has said.
The report by News Express however did not say how Mojekwu got her information, she sounded confident about her facts.
Governor Fayose of Ekiti State has maintained in several statements that Buhari is not fit to run for the highest office in the land as he is nursing an undisclosed sickness.
The governor said that the general’s visit to Uk was to provide an alibi for his hospital appointment.
Writing Tuesday afternoon (Nigerian Time) on her Facebook wall, Pamela Mojekwu, CEO of Sickle Cell United Chicago, Illinois, USA, said:
“Buhari obviously has testicular cancer and is in UK receiving treatment. Why are his followers being ever so secretive and abusive to others about it? He will not be the 1st nor will he be the last to get cancer of the balls. I hate to say it is quite normal but I will not,” she was quoted have said in a report by New Express.
Responding to one of those who reacted to her post, Pamela Mojekwu, a celebrity keep fit expert in Nigeria before relocating to the USA, wrote: “My issue with this whole thing is not that he has cancer but that his followers are hiding it and are so quick to HURL insults at people who ask. Cancer is not the issue.”
Contacted this morning by News Express for more details, she said: “I will send you more info.”
Facts about testicular cancer:
Cancer of the testicles, also known as testicular cancer, is one of the less common cancers. It usually affects younger men between the ages of 15 and 49.
The most common symptom is a painless lump or swelling in the testicles. Other symptoms can include:
a dull ache in the scrotum (the sac of skin that hangs underneath the penis and contains the testicles)
a feeling of heaviness in the scrotum
Men should check their testicles every month for any unusual lumps, much like women are advised to check for breast lumps regularly.
Read more about the symptoms of testicular cancer.
The testicles
The testicles are the two oval-shaped male sex organs that sit inside the scrotum on either side of the penis.
The testicles are an important part of the male reproductive system because they produce sperm and the hormone testosterone, which plays a major role in male sexual development.
Types of testicular cancer
The different types of testicular cancer are classified by the type of cells the cancer first begins in.
The most common type of testicular cancer is known as ‘germ cell testicular cancer’, which accounts for around 95% of all cases. Germ cells are a type of cell that the body uses to help create sperm.
There are two main subtypes of germ cell testicular cancer. They are:
seminomas, which account for around 40-45% of all germ cell testicular cancers
non-seminomas, which account for around 40-45% of all germ cell testicular cancers
Seminomas and non-seminomas tend to respond well to chemotherapy, a treatment that uses medication to kill cancer cells.
Less common types of testicular cancer include:
Leydig cell tumours, which account for around 1-3% of cases
Sertoli cell tumours, which account for around 1% of cases
Lymphoma, which accounts for around 4% of cases
This article focuses on germ cell testicular cancer. Contact Macmillan for more information on Leydig cell tumour and Sertoli cell tumour.
Read information about Hodgkin lymphoma and Non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
How common is testicular cancer?
Testicular cancer is relatively uncommon, accounting for just 1% of all cancers that occur in men.
Each year in the UK around 2,300 men are diagnosed with testicular cancer, according to Cancer Research UK.
Testicular cancer is unusual compared to other cancers because it tends to affect younger men. As a result, although relatively uncommon overall, testicular cancer is the most common type of cancer to affect men between the ages of 15 and 49.
Rates of testicular cancer are five times higher in white men than in black men. The reasons for this are unclear.
The number of cases of testicular cancer that are diagnosed each year in the UK has roughly doubled since the mid-1970s. Again, the reasons for this are unclear.
Causes of testicular cancer
The cause or causes of testicular cancer are unknown, but a number of things have been identified that increase the chance of developing the condition. These include:
having a family history of testicular cancer
being born with undescended testicles (cryptorchidism). About 3-5% of boys are born with their testicles located inside their abdomen, which usually descend into the scrotum during the first four months of life
Read more about the causes of testicular cancer.
Outlook
Testicular cancer is one of the most treatable types of cancer. More than 96% of men with early stage testicular cancer will be completely cured.
Even cases of more advanced testicular cancer, where the cancer has spread outside the testicles to nearby tissue, have an 80% chance of being cured.
Compared to other cancers, deaths from testicular cancer are rare. Cancer Research UK say that around 70 men die from testicular cancer every year in the UK.
Treatment for testicular cancer includes the surgical removal of the affected testicle (which should not affect fertility or the ability to have sex), and chemotherapy. Less commonly, radiotherapy (a treatment that uses radiation to kill cancer cells) may be used for Seminomas.
NHS Choices
