Women, men urged to be breast-sensitive to prevent cancer

Ms Abigail Olympio-Peku, Oncology Nurse Specialist at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, has called on women and men to be breast sensitive by examining their breasts periodically for early detection and treatment of cancer. 

She said breast cancer is no respecter of person no matter one’s social status and as such screening was crucial to prevent late presentation and save lives.

 
“Breast cancer is no respecter of your status. It is no respecter of your age.

It is no respecter of anything that you may have acquired.

Everybody can get it.

So, the earlier you are breast sensitive, the better it is.

 
Ms Olympio-Peku advised a breast cancer screening and talk organized by the University Teachers Association of Ghana, the University of Media, Arts and Communication (UniMac) branch. 

 
Breast cancer occurs when malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the breast.

Factors including increasing age and obesity increase the risk of breast cancer.

 
It is the most common cancer among women worldwide, accounting for about 25 percent of all cancer cases and affects over 2.3 million women globally each year.

 
According to GLOBOCAN, Ghana in 2022 recorded 5,026 cases of breast cancer with associated 2,369 deaths, representing an increase in the number of cases recorded in 2020 to 4,482.

 
In Ghana, it is estimated that one in 22 women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime.

 
The global theme for 2024 Breast Cancer Awareness Month is “No One Should Face Breast Cancer Alone.” 

Ms Olympio-Peku took participants through some risk factors including family history, age, gender, lifestyle, and having their first child later among others.

 
She said being diagnosed with breast cancer was not an easy journey and called on families and friends to show the needed support to people diagnosed to enable them to go through the treatment process.

 
“Emotionally, financially, physically.

There are so many ways that you can support them.

You can support a sister by even accompanying her to the hospital,” she stated. 

She said breast cancer was treatable when detected early and with the screening modalities available every woman needed to be breast-sensitive to prevent late presentation and loss of lives.

 
Dr Mary Ayim-Segbefia, the Women’s Executive Officer of UniMac-UTAG, said the move enabled the lecturers at the institutes to take advantage of the awareness month and have their breasts examined due to their busy schedules.

 
As lecturers, we see the need for this exercise because we are busy teaching, researching, lecturing and all the things we do as lecturers.

And because October is a month designated for breast cancer screening; we decided to also take advantage of it.

 
Dr Ayim-Segbefia speaking on the importance of breast screening and prevention, urged the public to stop stigmatising people diagnosed with the disease to enable them to seek early treatment. 

She encouraged women and men to periodically examine their breasts to know their status, have clinical examinations when unsure and seek medical treatment if positive to save lives.