Free Breast Cancer Screening At Ga Mantse's Palace

FIVE women were detected with breast disorders during a free cancer screening exercise at the Ga Mantse's Palace in  Accra last Saturday.

The disorders manifested themselves in the form of breast dimple, breast discharge and the presence of lumps.

They were referred to the Cocoa Clinic for further examination and investigation.

The exercise which was organised for residents of North Kaneshie and surroundings, formed part of the Cancer Awareness Month set aside by the Cancer Society of Ghana jointly with Africa and Oxford,  two groups dedicated to fighting cancer in Africa.

In all, 29 people, including five men, were screened for breast cancer and prostrate cancer, respectively.

Cancer is abnormal or unbridled proliferation of cells of  the body with potential for local extension and very often distant spread.

In an interview with the Times, Mr Edward Amporful, Chief Pharmacist of the Cocoa Clinic, said the rate at which cancer was spreading was frightening and urged people  to go for screening for early detection and cure.

He said that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has predicted that between 2000 and 2020 cancer cases would double to 20 million new cases per annum, 70 per cent of which will occur in the developing world.

Mr Amporful said cancer had become the newest epidemic in the developing world and was already killing more people worldwide than HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and malaria.

“Cancer diagnosis in the developing world, including Ghana means a painful and distressing death” he said, and stressed the need for a vigorous campaign against it.

Rev. Father Victor Sackey, executive secretary of the Cancer Society of Ghana, said more men will die out of prostate cancer if they were not treated early.

He said statistics showed that the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital treated at least three cases of prostate cancer a week, adding that it also constituted 60 per cent of cancer deaths worldwide.

Prostate cancer is a malignant cancer which develops from cells in the prostate gland.