The month of October, internationally celebrated as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, has seen a lot of sensitization and education as far as breast cancer awareness is concerned.
The Sampa Government Hospital in the Jaman North District of the Bono region, in collaboration with Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, organised a free breast screening programme for people within the Jaman North District and its enclave on Saturday, October 21, 2023, to ensure maximum sensitization and prevent the continuous spread of the infection.
Speaking at the programme, Dr. Kofi K. Gyan, General Programme Manager for Breast Care Research at Weil Cornell Medicine University in the United States of America (USA), who works in connection with KATH, indicated that they have been conducting breast cancer research for the past 18 years at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital to ensure the prevention of breast cancer.
Doctors from the USA visit Ghana yearly to conduct breast cancer surgery for affected patients, adding that they also supply KATH with logistics and funds to support the said project.
He added that breast cancer is not a death sentence, so early detection saves lives, hence the need for all, especially women, to frequently be involved in breast cancer screening to know their status and avoid unforeseen circumstances.
Dr. Aipillah Francis, a consultant surgeon at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital Breast Care Unit, for his part, explained the reason for their strong yearly collaboration with the Sampa Government Hospital for Breast Screening, stating that there is always an increasing rate of breast cancer cases reported to their facility (KATH) from the Jaman North district; thus, they realised it would be prudent for them to enhance breast cancer sensitization and education in the district.
He said they screened over 400 women in this year’s programme and detected some cases; therefore, samples have been picked up by KATH for further examination and confirmation to give the necessary health assistance to the affected women to save them from the risk of losing their breasts because breast cancer, when detected earlier, is preventable.
Finally, Mrs. Mariama Amadu, Senior Nursing Officer at the Breast Care Unit of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, urged women to ensure constant breast screening to prevent breast cancer because it is a dangerous ailment that affects most women.
She urged women to visit the hospital immediately after suspecting a case of cancer in the breast to avoid future destruction of the breast, adding that we must desist from self-breast medication and the application of other herbs to the breasts in the name of fighting breast cancer.
