MoH to undertake free breast cancer screening

The Ministry of Health has made arrangements for free breast cancer screening in all public health facilities.

The initiative is part of measures put in place to mark October as the breast cancer awareness month and intensify the search for all potential cases of breast cancer for appropriate action to be taken to avert avoidable deaths from the disease.

The ministry, in a statement signed by the sector Minister, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, therefore, appealed to all to visit any of the facilities to screen and know the conditions of their breasts.

“The country continues to make strides in targeted disease, currently, breast cancer diagnostics is available on a daily bases for all citizens to periodically check their status.

I wish to remind the general public that October is the International Breast Cancer Month and the country is observing the month with breast cancer activities, in collaboration with civil society”, he said.

Breast cancer

“Breast cancer is a disease in which abnormal breast cells grow out of control and form tumours.

If left unchecked, the tumours can spread throughout the body and become fatal,” he added.

The ministry said breast cancer was not preventable but treatable when it was detected at an early stage but unfortunately, many people were diagnosed with the disease at a late stage when treatment was no longer an option.

However, it said some factors increased a person’s vulnerability to the condition.

It mentioned them to include age, obesity, and harmful use of alcohol, family history of breast cancer and history of radiation exposure.

“Others are reproductive history (such as age that menstrual periods began and age at first pregnancy), tobacco use and postmenopausal hormone therapy.

“Approximately half of breast cancers develop in women who have no identifiable breast cancer risk factor other than gender (female) and age (over 40 years), among many other risk factors,” the statement emphasised.

Treatment

It said treatment was based on the person, the type of cancer and its spread and combined surgery, radiation therapy and medications, among others.

It appealed to all women, in particular, to take clinical breast examinations seriously and go for checks at least every month, since 96 per cent of the national breast cancer burden was among women.

Writer’s email: doreen.andoh@graphic.com.gh