Cancer remains a leading cause of death in Nigeria, with 127,763 new cases and 79,542 deaths recorded in 2022, disproportionately affecting women.
As Nigeria marked World Cancer Day on 4 February and February as Cancer Prevention Month, Pharmanewsonline spoke with Pharm. Folasade Olufunke Lawal, MD/CEO of Victory Drugs, Lagos, about her journey from diagnosis to survival. The veteran community pharmacist with over three decades of practice highlights key challenges driving cancer deaths in Nigeria, including late diagnosis, unaffordable treatment, and weak insurance coverage.
She also shares practical survival tips and words of hope for patients still battling the disease. Read the full text of the interview below:
Take us back to the moment of your diagnosis. What went through your mind, and how did that moment change your understanding of life and health?
The first thought that came to me was, “So, I can get cancer.” It was followed by a deep silence and the quiet awareness that life is fragile. The idea of death crossed my mind, yet I remained calm until I got home. There, alone in my bathroom, I allowed myself a few tears.
Afterwards, I chose reflection over fear. As a Christian, I thanked God for the gift of time to examine my life, set my heart in order, and live more intentionally. We all must face death someday, often without warning, but in that moment, I didn’t assume cancer would be my end. Instead, the diagnosis reshaped my understanding of health and life, reminding me that our days are numbered and meant to be lived with purpose, faith, and readiness.
Cancer doesn’t just affect the body; it reshapes identity. In what ways did the illness challenge who you thought you were, and how did you rebuild yourself afterwards?
Cancer challenged my identity as someone with inner strength and always caring for others. Being forced into vulnerability, needing help, slowing down, and listening to my body was humbling. I had to confront the belief that control and productivity defined my worth.
Rebuilding meant anchoring my identity in faith rather than function. I learned that strength could emerge from weakness, though our body is mortal and therefore perishable. Life is a stewardship, not a guarantee.
Cancer did not erase who I was; it refined me, deepening humility, compassion, resilience and dependence on God.
What was the hardest part of your journey that people rarely talk about, something beyond the hospital visits and medical procedures?
The hardest part was not the hospital or the procedures but the quiet work of the mind. Those silent moments when I had to sit with the thought that my lifespan might be shorter, that the shadow of cancer doesn’t completely disappear.
People rarely talk about how knowledge can fuel fear (the awareness that survival sometimes comes with the fear of recurrence).
Appearing strong while privately negotiating faith and fear was its own battle. Rebuilding life meant redefining peace not as the absence of risk but as the grace, under God, to live fully despite it. It’s about the inner battle between fear and faith.
Support systems can make or break survival. Who or what sustained you through treatment, and how can society do better in supporting people living with cancer?
By God’s grace, my healthcare professionals, family, church community, and friends provided sustained emotional, spiritual, and financial support..
The fact that my surgeon continues to follow up speaks to the power of continuity of care in healing.
But many people living with cancer are not this fortunate.
From a public health perspective, survival should not depend on privilege or personal networks.
People living with cancer should be encouraged and supported to access evidence-based treatment and care, while receiving psychosocial support that restores hope, purpose, and the will to live
Access to care is a major issue, especially in low-resource settings. What barriers did you face, and what should policymakers urgently fix for other patients?
I did not face significant barriers to care. My cancer was diagnosed early, and treatment began promptly, largely because I could afford fee-paying services and obtain medications without delay. I am keenly aware that this experience reflects privilege, not the reality for many patients in low-resource settings.
Policymakers must urgently address risk factors, late diagnosis, unaffordable treatment, and weak insurance coverage that continue to cost lives. Cancer prevention and early detection need sustained public education, while treatment must be affordable, insured, and heavily subsidised. Equally critical is stronger regulation of environmental and lifestyle risk factors, such as cigarette smoke and pollution, that are silently driving the cancer burden.
As a survivor, how do you now relate to fear, hope, and uncertainty?
As a survivor, my relationship with fear, hope, and uncertainty has changed. I have learned to depend on God more deeply than ever before. That dependence has strengthened me to confront fear with faith, sustain hope, and worry less about what I cannot control. I may not know what tomorrow holds, but I trust the One who holds tomorrow and has the final say.
At the same time, faith has not replaced responsibility. I am more intentional about healthy lifestyle choices, cancer prevention strategies, and regular medical check-ups for early detection. My message to the public is simple: fear should not delay care, and hope must be matched with action. When individuals, communities, and systems prioritise prevention, early detection, and support, survival becomes not the exception but the expectation.
Has surviving cancer changed how you plan for the future?
Yes, it has. I am far more conscious of the reality of the end of life and have become more intentional about being at peace with God. I no longer assume ownership of the future; instead, I focus on making the most of the present and being faithful with each day I am given. This has led me to delegate more and invest deliberately in raising successors. I have also adjusted my daily routines to allow for more rest and sleep, recognising that about eight hours of good sleep gives the body time to restore and repair itself.
Surviving cancer has taught me that while we may not control tomorrow, we can choose to live wisely today, caring for our bodies, nurturing others, and embracing each day with gratitude and purpose.
What is your advice to patients still battling with cancer?
To someone just receiving a cancer diagnosis: take a moment to breathe, pray to God and remember, you are not alone.
A diagnosis is not the end of your story. Seek timely care, go with a trusted medical team, lean on your faith, and take each day as it comes. Cancer can be confronted and, in many cases, overcome.
To the public: living with cancer is more than a fight against a disease; it is a journey of strength, uncertainty, and hope. People with cancer need understanding, encouragement, and support, not pity or fear. With awareness, compassion, and early right action, we can help those living with cancer face their journey with dignity and resilience.
