Never ignore that itch; it might turn out to be cancer

By Grace Wekesa

Bungoma, Kenya: It started over a decade ago as an itch near his throat and Victor Simiyu, 31, thought it will disappear soon after.

When it did not, Simiyu, who hails from Kamasielo village in Bungoma County, bought some drugs hoping they will clear the itch.

However, they did not. After sometime, he then started to feel a growth at the place that was itching.

After a short time, the growth grew bigger forcing him to seek medical attention at Coast General Hospital since he was then living in Mombasa. The treatment he received seemed to have cured the illness, but in 2009 the tumour restarted.

Unable to get the medical attention that could stop the growth after visiting several hospitals, the tumour persisted.

Plenty of agony

Last August, well-wishers contributed Sh150,000 to take him to Moi and Teaching Referral Hospital in Eldoret for specialised treatment.

The operation took more than 15 hours after which it was established that he was suffering from sarcoma, a form of cancer.

Simiyu felt cured. He went back to his normal life. However, this was short-lived.

In March, the tumour started developing again and now it has doubled.

“I was delighted that my life was going on normally only for the tumour to recur. It has caused me a lot of agony,” said Simiyu.

Sarcoma is a type of cancer that develops from body tissues like bone or muscle.

The main type of sarcoma is osteosarcoma, which develops from bones. Sarcomas can also develop from fat, muscle, nerves, fibrous and skin tissues and blood vessels.

Dr Fredrick Oluga of Mbale District Hospital said sarcoma is a serious condition that ought to be treated quickly to avoid it developing into serious condition.

“This is cancer of connective tissues and it spreads very fast in the body. If not properly identified, it can recur. The patient needs to get further treatment for the specimen to be re-examined in the laboratory to ascertain which tissue in the body is being affected mostly,’’ advised Oluga.

Simiyu has difficulty in moving around. When he walks to the nearest kiosk, he gets a lot of attention from people who stare at his protruding tumour.

At their homestead, he lives with his ageing grandmother Marita Wambogo, 88, as his parents died when he was a teenager. Being frail, the grandmother can only offer limited assistance making Simiyu depend on well wishers, who visit the home.

Simiyu is not eating well and the disease is taking a heavy toll on him. He is emaciated, talks feebly and the look on his face illustrates the pain he has undergone since he was attacked by the disease.

“I am in bad shape. Sleeping is a nightmare. I turn on all sides at night in search of the best position to sleep but it doesn’t work because the pain is unbearable,” he said.

Assistance

Florence Silano, Kamasielo county ward representative said well wishers have assisted Simiyu’s through contributions in the past, but help is no longer coming his way.

“We are grateful to everyone who has come to Simiyu’s assistance. This is our shared responsibility, however, we still need more aid to help him fully recover,” said Silano.

According to www.cancer.org, after a sarcoma is discovered, there are several treatment options.

These are surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and targeted therapy.