Health experts have advocated early diagnosis and self-screening as critical to early detection of breast cancers, rapid medical response and treatment.
Advocating a zero breast cancer campaign, they called for husbands’ involvement in self-screening and a change of attitude and behaviour towards a disease which affects millions of women, globally.
These were highlights of message delivered by the experts at the 2022 breast cancer awareness programme organised by Abosso Gold Fields Limited (AGL) through Gold Fields Ghana Foundation (GFGF) at Huni Valley in the Western Region, on Thursday.
A total of 67 women were screened and out of the number, two suspected cases were referred to the Tarkwa Municipal Hospital, for further examination.
The programme involved the free consultation and screening for cancerous lumps and treatment.
Educating participants, the Health Service Manager, Gold Fields Ltd, Dr Magdalene D. Bakari, emphasised on early detections else treatment of breast cancer would be difficult.
This, she advocated, would avoid untold deaths among women affected.
Dr Bakari continued “You must do self -screening by looking into the mirror and examining your breasts with hands and check whether there’s a lump in your breast. Do this every month and the best time is after menstruation that is when your breast is lowered. After two weeks, the breast becomes heavy.”
She told participants that breast cancer operations should be done depending on the stage of infection and that, chemotherapy could be performed on patients to control the spread.
Dr Bakari added “Don’t think about cost and sit down and wait for prayers at prayer camps for it to get to the advanced stages. With this, we can’t do anything to help you. If you have faith and believe in God come to the hospital.”
The Prestea-Huni Valley Municipal Health Director, Mr Joseph Kwame Sampson, spoke about men’s involvement in self-screening, and added that, the matter did not affect women alone, but, the entire family and society.
The Acting General Manager, Abosso Goldfields Limited, Mrs Catherine Kuupol Kuutor, noted that the day was marked yearly, worldwide, to create awareness on breast cancer.
Quoting World Health Organisation (WHO) reports, she said, breast cancer was the most common cancer among women, adding that in 2020, about 2.3 million new cases of breast cancer were reported globally and about 685,000 died from the disease.
Mrs Kuutor said “These statistics threaten the survival of our women and form the basis for the annual launch of intensive public education on the subject. It is important for every woman to know the signs and symptoms of breast cancer and understand the significance of early detection for treatment.”
The Queenmother of Subri Division, Nana Ama Saarah I, applauded AGL and GFGF for their efforts in health delivery, especially on breast cancers and expressed the hope that the dividends would improve the development of women.
FROM CLEMENT ADZEI BOYE, HUNI VALLEY
