Institute links hot tea, miraa and mursik to rising oesophageal cancers
Oesophagus cancer is the top killer in Kenya ahead of cervix, breast, stomach and prostate cancers with 4,354 deaths every year. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
Oesophagus cancer is the top killer in Kenya ahead of cervix, breast, stomach and prostate cancers with 4,354 deaths every year.
When mursik is ingested several times daily, the repeated exposure to carcinogenic levels of ethanol may contribute to the initiation of cancer formation of the oesophagus.
Early signs include difficulty in swallowing, having a feeling that something is stuck in the throat and weight loss.
Food pipe cancer is also linked to volcanic soils, alcohol and tobacco chewing or smoking.
Taking hot tea while chewing miraa and frequent drinking of mursik (fermented milk) are the leading causes of cancer of the oesophagus or food pipe in Northern Kenya and Rift Valley respectively.
The National Cancer Institute on Thursday said Rift Valley, upper Eastern and North Eastern regions recorded the highest number of oesophageal cancers.
