300 Women sensitised to breast cancer in Tamale

More than 300 women in the Tamale Metropolis have been screened for breast cancer in an exercise organised by ASA Savings and Loans Limited in collaboration with the Breast Care Unit of the Tamale Teaching Hospital.

The exercise formed part of activities to mark this year's World Breast Cancer Day.

The screening was aimed at creating awareness of breast cancer among the women to enable them to seek early treatment.

It also served as a platform to educate the participants on sexual and gender-based violence.

The beneficiaries were educated on the symptoms of breast cancer for detection, diagnosis and treatment.

The exercise which was led by a team of medical doctors from the Tamale Teaching Hospital saw a number of the women diagnosed with the illness referred to various facilities for further treatment.

A similar exercise was organised at Techiman, the Bono East Regional capital, last Friday, where about 50 women were screened.

Barriers

Addressing the beneficiaries, the Tamale Area Manager of ASA Savings and Loans Limited, Imarat Hossain, said that the exercise formed part of the company's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to improve the well-being of its customers and the general public.

He noted that breast cancer as a disease had affected millions of women across the world and that it was important that sensitisation on the disease is increased to help control its spread among women.

Mr Hossain advised women to make it a habit to check their breasts regularly to enable them to detect unusual changes in them.

Advice

For his part, the Oncology Specialist at the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH), Gideon K. Asante, asked women to regularly look out for changes such as lumps, contour, discharge of blood, change of breast size, and breast pain, among others, in their breasts, and seek early treatment.

"The exact cause of breast cancer is unknown but it is believed that every woman is at risk of developing it. However, the risk is not equal among all women," he noted.

Beneficiaries who spoke with the Daily Graphic thanked the company for organising such an exercise to examine and educate them on breast cancer.