KATH ATTENDS TO 701 BREAST CANCER CASES (PAGE 11, NOV 5)

The Ashanti Regional Women’s branch of the Timber and Wood Workers Union has held a seminar in Kumasi, during which the participants were enlightened on the treatment and cure of breast and cervical cancers.
The Head of the Oncology Department of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Dr Baffour Awua, said breast and cervical cancers were the most common cancers among women, which put the lives of patients at risk when they were detected late.
According to him, the department had attended to 701 breast cancer cases since it was established in 2004, adding that about 80 per cent of the cases were reported late, leading to high cost of treatment.
Dr Baffour Awua pointed out that it was important for women to undertake breast examination regularly to enable them to detect any abnormal changes such as lumps in their breasts early to enable them to seek medical care, adding that breast cancer could be cured if patients sought early treatment.
“Many of the patients report only when the disease has reached an advanced state. Such situations put the lives of the patients at high risk. The cost of treatment at the advanced stage is also very high because a single dose of some drugs used for the treatment cost GH¢8,000,” he noted.
He explained that treating breast cancer at the advanced stage was very difficult “because it spreads very fast to other parts of the body, such as the armpit, lungs and brains”.
He said women, especially those above 35 and those with a family history of breast cancer, were at high risk and, therefore, advised them to appreciate the need to consult medical experts at regular intervals.
Dr Baffour Awua explained that “because the disease is not painful at the initial stages, many patients tend to wait until it reaches the advanced stages before seeking medica attentionl, and even at that level they prefer consulting prophets and Mallams”.
He said like breast cancer, cervical cancer was equally dangerous and its treatment was costly, especially when it was reported late, and advised women to undertake regular self-examination and check up at the hospitals since, according to him, prevention was better than cure.
Earlier, the National Vice-Chairman of the Timber and Wood Workers Union, Mr Owusu Bempah, had said the breast was one of the important organs of women and advised the participants to take the knowledge acquired seriously to enable them to take good care of themselves and also help to enlighten other women.