The Breast Cancer Society of Ghana has organised a health screening exercise for women in Tamale, as part of its breast cancer awareness campaign.
The campaign, which was organised in partnership with Cancer Care for Humanity International, sought to increase awareness of breast cancer care and the need to seek early medical attention.
The collaboration, forming part of the activities to mark this year’s Mother’s Day celebration, aimed to address various misconceptions associated with breast cancer.
Madam Enam Setsoafia, Chairperson of the Screening and Outreach Department at the Breast Cancer Society of Ghana, addressing the women during the event, underscored the importance of early screening and said it helped to sustain lives and minimise deaths.
She stated that breast cancer was the leading cause of cancer deaths among women and advised them to desist from excessive alcohol consumption and other lifestyles that had the tendency to expose them to the disease.
She explained that breast cancer was not gender-biased and could affect men as well.
She touched on the treatment modalities and said it was expensive to treat breast cancer, advising members of the public to prioritise screening to avert the exorbitant treatment costs associated with the disease.
Mrs. Gifty Safo Annan, an Oncology Nurse Specialist and Chief Executive Officer of Cancer Care for Humanity International, said it was important for the government to demonstrate more commitment to fighting breast cancer by providing the necessary equipment to facilitate treatment.
She said the Northern Region did not have a radiotherapy centre, which made health workers vulnerable in fighting breast cancer cases.
She appealed to the government and philanthropists to support the fight to ensure that more women were protected against breast cancer in the country.
Madam Atika Abudu, a breast cancer survivor, also shared her experience with the disease and said screening and early medication were key to safeguarding the lives of women.
Out of the 61 women screened, 58 recorded negative, while three were detected with lumps in their breasts.
39 out of the total number screened were over 40 years and were advised to undergo a mammogram for further examination.
Only 16 of them expressed interest in undergoing the breast mammogram, while the rest could not do the mammogram due to financial constraints.
