You're at a high risk of getting blood cancer if any of your relatives died from that - Dr Nunoo

Added: 2026-05-27

[00:00:00]No, at this point. Amen to that. Amen to that. But okay. Good morning once again people.

[00:00:23]Okay.

[00:00:26]your um we can decide to focus today on that's fine. We can discuss all the three that's okay. But affects >> is made up of several cells. Your red blood cells, your white blood cells, your baby platelets and your plasma.

[00:00:48]All these things are components of the blood. If any of those cells know um there some abnormal growth in them, it may cause blood cancer.

[00:00:57]>> But most of the time why blood cells affected and white blood cells infection immune process. No, I try to fight off any infection that's coming in. So that's the function of the white blood cells. in if there's any abnormal growth or changes in this white blood cells due to genetic mutation and any other um things that occur in the body that are not normal in Blood is something based on maybe our lifestyle.

[00:01:46]>> Okay. Um that's a good question because now specific cause of cancer up to now.

[00:01:56]Yes. Because very complex >> um you may not even have one single risk factor. You may end up having having cancer.

[00:02:06]>> You may have all the risk factors to have it very straightforward.

[00:02:14]So there's no particular cause but there are certain lifestyle habits some um genetic exposure if you have definitely you may have these kind of blood cancers. for examp very very poor rich in fruitsables family history let's say this blood cancer you have a higher chance of getting them as well because of the genes that are involved in them to radiationology with Xrays.

[00:03:16]It can also cause that um and a genetic mutation genetic mutation >> sometimes the body the you the DNA >> um supposed to line up a particular way so if there's any shift in that's not lining up now we call it genetic mutation a change in your DNA and this may cause say >> um some of these cancers is that no there's no specific cause um some people will see exposure to things like pesticides foraldihide benzene all Those things can cause it but there's no particular cause per say.

[00:03:49]>> Okay.

[00:03:58]Right.

[00:04:09]Should I be worried >> closely? But once you have that history, it will be advisable for it to be checking from time to time.

[00:04:19]>> It doesn't have to be so close to the lineage. I ideally, yes, it should be the first line like um mother, >> um sister, father.

[00:04:29]>> Yes.

[00:04:30]>> But if it's an auntie, it's not too far off.

[00:04:33]>> It can also pass pass on. You can have those jeans. It's advisable check just be on the safe side.

[00:04:43]for what I'm prone to that in case of blood cancer you have a history of leukemia or lymphoma in the family based on that blood count okay white blood cells white blood cells are anemic cells White blood, 35, 40.

[00:05:26]If we think suspected cancer, >> but most of the time, they wait for the symptoms to set in before they come, >> which I regular, we're always hitting hard. We should be doing the regular medical checkups to be sure we can identify and pick it up early beyond >> um blood and go to other places. Okay.

[00:06:06]But this a friend of mine Saturday leukemia but he was just 16 years old.

[00:06:21]What brought about that? Cuz with the educational mind saying it has to be maybe genetic or lifestyle or that but the boy of those lifestyles and mommy's alive, daddy's alive. But what happened?

[00:06:34]>> You see like the way I explained earlier very very complex very complex thing so easy.

[00:06:45]There's still ongoing research we might think.

[00:06:51]surprised.

[00:06:55]So it doesn't really like it chooses who it wants to affect.

[00:07:01]>> Yeah, that's how Yes. That's how cancer is to me and okay this person is going to have it. This person going to have you can predict >> and you can you can think that okay you have a higher chance of getting it >> but you can't really pinpoint as to why the the boy will get in his experience.

[00:07:19]M >> uh there could be a lot of things going on we don't know maybe like I said genetic mutations he maybe had an abnormal changes in his gene so there are a lot of um um interactions that goes on beyond the private hospital immediately Okay. Usually what we call weight loss they want to maintain a healthy weight on the day maybe once or twice a day they're very loose on you what we call fatigue. Um some people have bone pain they feel very nauseous that kind of thing. Um some also have very easy bleeding or bruising. Let's say of our skin we don't really it's a bit difficult to see in the black skin but assuming I was um a lighter shade that kind of >> um so any bruising abnormal bruising or bleeding that shouldn't be there. No.

[00:08:55]Okay.

[00:08:58]That should make you alert that there's something going on.

[00:09:04]Those are the things that we look out for. Sometimes you can be drenched in sweat like sweatal to be having those night sweats.

[00:09:19]What we call swelling of the lymph nodes, >> you know, either in the neck area or in the armpits or in the groinymph just to help fight the infection infection.

[00:09:48]becomes very very big. So it becomes quite obvious that there's a problem going on. Okay.

[00:10:03]Death sentence. Is is that what it is?

[00:10:06]Um I'll say that cancer is not necessarily a death sentence and depend on um stage air picked up first of all and it depend on how aggressive the tumor is or how um benign it is. Okay.

[00:10:21]So if it's very malignant aggressive type it may spread day to other part of the body. No then that's when we get worried.

[00:10:30]>> Yes. But when it's picked up early it's a it's not an aggressive cancer. we can start the treatment. There are lots of treatment options available but you can be cured from it. There are few that because of the of how aggressive the nature of the tumor is whatever you do the prognosis is for I see patient they say oh maybe I have like maybe 5 years to live and now 10 years to live a timeline.

[00:10:56]my girls ready. Um some are very bad others too can be managed.

[00:11:07]That's the the important the key message the early detection of the body. It's very difficult managing when it becomes like that challenges treating patients of cancer because Yes. So the the challenge is first getting the patient to understand that's the the the difficult um part of our work sometimes because so it's it's getting to the patient to even accept the diagnosis in the first place.

[00:12:12]Okay.

[00:12:14]That's the first challenge. But what we usually do is that the psychologists can affect both males and females to cancel you. So you understand it can be treated. It can be managed. If it's it's it's that bad, I have a few whatever years to live or whatever, we'll tell you. We cancel you. But it's a bit diff medications covered by national health insurance >> with the chemo and the radiation all that most of the patients after some time they stop coming because they can't afford it.

[00:13:04]>> So that's also a major challenge that we have with these cancers. Yes.

[00:13:10]And funny enough know why like this world >> it can be tough sometimes because um and then yes and he has he or she has to go through that that process it can be a bit challenging sometimes those are the main challenges and then they stop coming feel like they're getting better they stop So for instance, you lose your hair.

[00:13:41]>> So effects >> because of a two by itself shedding.

[00:13:54]>> Wow.

[00:13:55]>> Your nails brittle soft. Skin is not the best. You get look very very pale and and sick. Most of them they don't like to look that way.

[00:14:05]>> And then if You don't have any good supportive system like family members any good friends or anything >> to motivate you and push you hard battle as if you don't fight it no you end up losing the fight and then tell yourself that this is what I want to do I'm going to win this I'm going to fight this this um cancer and then beat it.

[00:14:37]>> So those are a few challenges that we have in this part of the world.

[00:14:42]>> Take us to some of the side effects apart from losing your hair, your nails.

[00:14:51]Is that true?

[00:14:52]>> Um not necessarily, but some of them do get um um they have foggy memory.

[00:15:01]Too good. Uhhuh. The thing is that chemo it destroys rapidly growing cells of chemo they all get affected.

[00:15:14]>> Okay.

[00:15:16]>> So make you active the hair the nails those type of things that grow cuz your hair they grow every day on a daily basis >> but because you want to destroy the cells we end up >> other other cells also get caught up in the they also get caught up in the destruction. Um so yes there's nausea and vomiting as well the whole day.

[00:15:42]So it's okay this a few um common side effect in this part of the world but stand out.

[00:16:02]Most of the time people end up cutting because patches >> because you can wake up today has dropped off when another side they call most of them end up even shaving the whole head just to so most patients that are receiving chemo said they have a bald >> um head yeah >> the just take everything off so they don't have to wake up then there's on their pillow or something other alternative um treatment Would you advise that?

[00:16:33]>> Um I wouldn't because research has shown that all these um the nonorthodox drugs no it doesn't help us much. They say, you know, some people would have a herbal drug. You can treat everything from cancer to say all kinds of things, >> you know, but um it's not really effective.

[00:16:59]Encourage her medications as now >> for cancer. Okay.

[00:17:09]the chemo the radiotherapy imunotherapy and all that that's rather better for you and I also want to add on when it comes to the course it's really for lymphas um patient with HIV they tend to have lymphas a lot um >> lymph it's also a type >> okay it's also a type of um cancer that affects the white blood cells >> also cause abnormal growing like the way we have the leukemia also lymphas just the leas and the bone marrow the lymphas are in the lymphatic system >> okay >> yeah so um HIV it's a virus called epile virus eB virus that can also cause the lymph >> um and then also take drugs that suppress the immune system too they can also get lymphas quite easily and it's a common infection that people um get it's called H pylori infection it's linked with um um peptic ulcer disease most of the times it can also cause lymphasis.

[00:18:11]>> Okay.

[00:18:11]>> Uhhuh. So I want to just put that in so that people also know the other causes of these cancers. Okay.

[00:18:27]hospital advice.

[00:18:40]Um, first of all, don't be scared.

[00:18:48]>> Okay.

[00:18:49]>> Every type of blood cancer lead to death fatal. Um there are few people who they recovered from it. Um there are a lot of support groups out there um who research you find them easily. You can even talk to people who have survived it and all that before. They can also um assist you with how they able to go through it.

[00:19:10]>> But support system very very necessary because on your own no matter what >> at least your immediate family there they have to know what's happening.

[00:19:20]Okay.

[00:19:24]Okay.

[00:19:26]people know it's not the best.

[00:19:28]>> Um the reason being support throughout you cannot do it on your own hospital because you are getting depressed. Why down >> who are you going to talk to? Cuz you haven't even told anybody you have cancer in the first place. At least a few trusted people you can let them know. like camera capture have an idea of what's happening in your life so they can help you >> and I adise say like once you get diagnosed no um please men fall out at any point in the treatment >> I know say sometimes the money finances kick in but you try as much as you can to at least follow through what Dr. plan onologist and the hematologist handle issues >> and then they can just give you a good plan and you can go and survive through it.

[00:20:31]>> Now is there any um system to support is there a supportive system?

[00:20:40]>> Um well now I know we have the we have this mama trust fun something.

[00:20:46]>> Okay. I'm not sure if it started working yet, but I think that they may be able to support if maybe apply to it cuz I know it helps with chronic diseases and all that.

[00:20:55]>> So maybe if you do apply, you can have it.

[00:20:58]>> Um and some NOS's also sponsor >> some of these things. Yes. So you have to do your research and then find out that you can get anyone to assist you.

[00:21:07]Some even go on um television stations and go and appeal to the media. Some some would do um some whatever that standing I forgotten the name. There's this thing that they call um what's the name?

[00:21:22]Oh, >> we've forgotten today.

[00:21:23]>> I know the metal this funing thing. So like all these things are fun.

[00:21:30]>> Goofund me. Yes. So you see all these things and I feel like you can get some way from your church members. Let them help you.

[00:21:51]Is it true >> for the blood?

[00:21:54]>> No, not leukemia but cancer.

[00:21:57]>> For the blood cancers.

[00:21:58]>> Yeah.

[00:21:58]>> Oh, not necessarily. It affects both sexes equally. If it's more in the children than the adults blood cancer, I think yes. Depend on where it is. Like if it's breast cancer like this, it's more common in women than men.

[00:22:18]>> Okay.

[00:22:20]>> But with blood, there's no it's it's affects everyone.

[00:22:26]I mean, I don't get it. It's so sad.

[00:22:32]>> It's a genetic mutation. So, it's abnormalities.

[00:22:40]Maybe to prevent it.

[00:22:42]>> No, because this is not fair.

[00:22:50]>> Children that are born, they born and they have blast retinal blastoics, cancer of the eye. Yeah, it happened.

[00:23:08]I think we were not really diagnosing it so much.

[00:23:10]>> Okay.

[00:23:11]>> But I feel like it's always been here >> because we didn't have maybe not as much as we should have.

[00:23:22]We are seeing it more. I just feel like because now we are doing the right checkups all these cancers coming up. But it's always been there.

[00:23:32]>> Yes. They have a the Caucasians have a higher rates than we do when it comes to cancer generally.

[00:23:40]malaria infection infection not necessarily but I feel like it's just genetic makeup and what is common in your where you find yourself like the tropics is more infection infection yes and are more out there okay play a role genetic.

[00:24:12]Mhm.

[00:24:28]interview her father and her bloodline.

[00:24:54]Okay. First of all, we have to be asking questions.

[00:25:07]You never met your grandmother. You didn't meet of your grandparents. You don't know what killed them. You never met your father. So we have to also be very inquisitive.

[00:25:22]We should be asking question pap then you have to go and see a doctor and let them know that based on ab this is what I'm seeing in my way and then we will know depend on the if if we think a name cancer because we may not know which type of cancer it is but we can do some DNA studies to to see the genes that you have. Is it those um breast cancer genes, the BRCA one? Is it BRCA 2?

[00:25:57]>> You know, do you have any um G mutations? So, we can check all those things.

[00:26:02]>> Yeah.

[00:26:02]>> Okay.

[00:26:06]Final one before Oh yes, it's possible. It is possible. A lot of people who have breast cancer in the family, but they never get breast cancer.

[00:26:24]>> Okay.

[00:26:24]>> Yeah. Some people can have BP and sugar in the family, but they never have it.

[00:26:28]>> So, it's possible.

[00:26:30]>> Okay.

[00:26:39]Public health physician specialist 37 military hospital.

[00:27:00]You're still watching the Max Morning Show with myself and we'll