By Erica Apeatua Addo
Kwamenakrom (W/R), Nov 4, GNA – Madam Patience Akpakli, matron at the Ghana Manganese Company Limited (GMCL) Hospital, has urged women not to fear screening for breast cancer since early detection save lives.
She said adopting the monthly self-breast examination would also help identify any abnormalities in the breast like lump, pain in any part of the breast or chest, bloody and offensive discharges.
Madam Akpakli gave the advice at a breast cancer education and screening programme organized by the GMCL in collaboration with the Manganese Ladies Association for residents of Kwamenakrom in the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality.
She stressed that any of the above conditions should be reported to the hospital immediately for further assessment.
The theme for this year is “Let’s Fight it Together”.
According to her, “A painful lump in the beast does not mean you have breast cancer, it could be any other condition causing that, so when you come to the hospital and professionals conduct clinical examination then they will refer you for further assessment by a surgeon.
She said: “If it’s necessary, a surgery will be done, if not you will be encouraged to do the self-breast examination every month.”
Madam Akpakli explained that to prevent any adult female from developing breast cancer, they should exercise regularly to maintain their weight, avoid alcohol, smoking, breast feed their babies and refrain from abusing emergency contraceptive pills.
She advocated that breast cancer education should be done throughout the years and not only in the month of October, saying “We have noticed most of the breast cancer cases are presented in October and it course for urgent attention”.
Mrs. Cynthia Quaidoo, Communication and Public Relations Officer, GMCL, and the Manganese Ladies Association Secretary, said since the inception of the programme in 2015, all suspected breast cancer cases identified in their communities were sent to the Manganese hospital for confirmation and treatment.
She said this year they screened over two hundred women at Kwamenakrom, one of its host communities and any newly identified person suspected of breast cancer would be sent to the Manganese hospital again.
She, however, said the association with support from its mother company would continue to sensitize women in its catchment communities on the importance of knowing their breast
cancer status and treatment to eradicate the deadly disease which is common among women in the country.
Maame Abena Asantewaa Asare, a beneficiary called on women to avail themselves for the breast cancer screening exercise to enable professionals discover whether they have the disease because early detection was the only hope for successful treatment.
GNA