THE 37 Military Hospital has diagnosed a total of 152 cases of breast cancer from January to October this year as compared to 162 cases diagnosed last year.
It was also detected that most diagnosed breast cancer cases had poor outcomes due to late presentation at the healthcare facility.
This was disclosed by the Commander of the hospital, Brigadier General Nii Adzah Obodai yesterday in Accra, at the launch of Ghana Armed Forces Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign.
The campaign is to scale up breast cancer awareness drive to reach all troops, families of military personnel and civilian clients of the hospital. It is also to cause behavioural change among military personnel and the public by encouraging self-breast examination in both the young and old to ensure early detection and treatment.
According to Brig. Gen. Obodai, studies had shown that 30 per cent of breast cancer cases occurred in women less than 35 years.
He stated that nearly 70 per cent of breast cancers diagnosed in Ghana were in the advance stages, adding that the late presentation was informed by low disease awareness and the phenomenon of reporting to healthcare facilities only after visits to spiritualists or herbalist.
Brig. Gen. Obodai was of the view that affected persons who only present themselves at the hospital when the disease was far advanced, leading to radical and aggressive treatments in an attempt to improve patient survival.
“We will like to change this narrative among the Ghana Armed Forces personnel by advocating early detection, diagnosis and right treatment through education, awareness campaigns and the screening of all consenting eligible personnel,” he said.
Brig. Gen. Obodai said the management of the hospital had started educating its personnel and the public on the disease, its management and importance of early detection and offer treatment to achieve cure.
He said the facility had set up breast cancer examination centres and various departments, namely the family planning unit, surgical Out Patient Department (OPD), polyclinic and other departments of the hospital, adding that the awareness campaign would continue throughout the year.
The Officer in Charge of Public Health at the hospital, Captain (GN) Edward Owusu Nyarko, said 1134 clients had been screened with 101 referred due to various diagnoses encountered.
He said the hospital had trained 30 nurses in breast examination techniques as part of measures put in place to fight the disease and stated that about 400 nursing students had also been engaged in the awareness creation in the barracks with the hope of opening screening centres in garrisons.
BY JEMIMA ESINAM KUATSINU
