Women advised to ensure regular breast examination

Atibie-Kwahu (E/R), April 13, GNA - Dr Beatrice Wiafe Addae, a specialist in breast pathology at the Peace and Love Hospital in Kumasi, has advised women to undertake medical examination of their breasts every six months to ensure early detection of breast cancer and other breast-related diseases for treatment.

She also urged them to allow doctors to examine their breasts when they attend hospital with other illness.

Dr Addae gave the advise in an interview with the GNA after a free breast screening exercise for over 500 women on Saturday at the Kwahu Government Hospital at Atibie in the Kwahu South District.

The exercise was jointly organised by Care International in Kumasi and Mammo Care in Accra, both local non-governmental organisations, as part of activities to mark the Easter celebration in the Kwahu area. Dr Addae said the women were educated on breast cancer and thought them how to undertake monthly breast self-examination.

She said those with minor breast-related problems were treated and the serious cases were referred to the hospital for surgery.

Dr Addae said the exercise indicated that 60 per cent of the over 260 women screened had breast cancer and other breast-related diseases. She, therefore, appealed to women to ensure regular check-up at the hospital for early detection of diseases and treatment.

According to Dr Addae, a similar exercise was organised in Kokofu in Ashanti on Good Friday for 1,460 women, during which a lot of breast cancer and other breast-related diseases were detected. Dr Addae commended pharmaceutical companies, the Kumasi Lions Club, the Kwahu South District Assembly among others who contributed to the success of the programme.

Mr Affram Asiedu, a philanthropist, promised to sponsor a recommended surgery to remove a big lump from one of the breasts of a 32-year-old nursing mother estimated to cost three million cedis.