Breast Cancer Survivorship in Nigeria

In sub-Saharan Africa, breast cancer is the primary cause of cancer morbidity and the second-most common cause of cancer mortality. An evolving, and now distinct phase along the cancer care continuum in terms of health care and research is survivorship. The broad definition of the term survivorship includes people who have been diagnosed with cancer, are currently living with it, or have not had any recurrence of cancer for a defined period of time. Limited literature from sub-Saharan Africa highlight treatment-induced long-term physical and psychological complications, alongside impact across social and spiritual domains for women with breast cancer. There is a need to better understand the experiences of women with breast cancer to guide advocacy and the development of locally appropriate responses for acute, extended, and permanent survivorship. This chapter presents narrative accounts of breast cancer survivors from Lagos, Nigeria, detailing their experiences from diagnosis to the present and outlining the culture and beliefs pertaining to living with cancer. The narratives of survivors are combined with existing literature, highlighting emerging patient- and service-level approaches to improving care and its coordination for women with breast cancer in Nigeria.