Chirano Gold Mine sponsors Breast Cancer Screening for women.

Chirano, Jan.1---Fear, stimatisation, high patronage of herbal concoction and over-reliance on prayer centres had accounted for the delay in reporting breast cancer cases for prompt attention by women.

Most women report late at health facilities with breast cancer when the only solution will be to remove the affected breast.

Dr. Mrs. Beatrice Wiafe Addai, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of BCI said these at a day's free breast cancer education and screening organized for women within the Chirano, Akoti-Etwebo and Paboase catchment area of Chirano Gold Mines Limited (CGML) on Monday.

The exercise which was fully sponsored by CGML formed part of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives of the company.

Dr. Addai said all women are prone to breast cancer but early detection could prevent the removal of breasts affected by cancer and assured the women that it was curable if detected early.

“Many women who have even had one of their breast removed due to breast cancer can still survive and live a very successful and meaningful life but this calls for early diagnosis and detection” she added.

Dr. Addai said though some men could contract breast cancer, it mostly affected women from 12 years upwards but was not hereditary.

She appealed to all women to regularly examine their breast and report any symptoms to the nearest health facility.

“Breast cancer, is painless and many women can live with it for years without detection and could affect the brain, lung, liver and bones of the woman” she stressed.

Nana Frimpong Manso, Chief of Paboase commended the management of Chirano Gold Mines and the team from BCI for collaborating to bring health to the door-step of women within the mines catchment area during the festive season.

He noted that breast cancer according to media reports was posing a serious challenge to women worldwide and all efforts should be made to increase sensitization about its impacts on women to save women from the effects of breast cancer.

Nana Manso appealed to management of CGML to continue to provide support in whatever form to assist in transforming the lives of women and children in the catchment area.

Mr. Stephen W. K. Mensah, Community Relations Superintendent of Chirano Gold Mines Limited, said the breast cancer education and screening formed part of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities and was aimed at climaxing 2012.

He said women and children have been identified as the vulnerable group in society and their health needs are mostly ignored and therefore challenged beneficiaries of the screening exercise to endeavor to pass on the knowledge to their peers and their children.

He said CGML will continue to support not only in the provision of infrastructure but will also assist in whatever ways to improve the health and social standards of the various communities and therefore appealed to inhabitants of the area to patronize all initiatives introduced to improve their standard of living.