…To Create Awareness On Breast Cancer
By Gifty A. Boateng
Women have been advised to take issues of breast cancer seriously as the disease cannot be wished away.
Metro Director of Health Service, Accra Metropolis, Dr Louisa Ademki Matey, has observed that it is better to seek screening periodically and early to be sure that they are free of the disease.
She contends that not wanting to know whether one has the dieseae or not will not let it automatically disappear.
According to available figures, it is estimated that around 1,800 women in Ghana died from breast cancer in 2018 alone, with 50% of women diagnosed with the disease dying from it.
While the exact number of deaths can change as and when, breast cancer is recorded as the second largest leading cause of cancer death in Ghana only after liver cancer.
Speaking on the sidelines of a breast cancer awareness programme organized by the Dorothy’s Hope Foundation (DHF) and partners in Accra, Dr Mantey charged women to not only screen but seek early treatment when they are diagnosed with it.
She noted that the body does not hide diseases and so whatever it develops will show up one way or the other, emphasizing the need to seek to seek early treatment and also prevent needless deaths.
“The body does not keep secret it is one of the things we must know. Whatever it is that is inside the body, whether you like it or not it would appear so instead of thinking that if I don’t know it won’t hurt that thing that sometimes say, for breast cancer, what you don’t know can hurt you”.
Throwing more light on the awareness creation programme, the medical professional said this is essential because the disease exists and so the public needs to be educated and informed. She stressed that being diagnosed is never a death sentence but a step to seek the needed help.
“The essence of all this awareness that we create is because we know that breast cancer exists, it is taking the lives of women needlessly because largely if it is found early people can survive. Breast cancer diagnosis is not a death sentence so we want people to come to the understanding that let identify it early and then and that can be done only through screening and we are trying to have many of our women and also men to do annual screening for the breast.”
Dr Mantey advocated personalizing the agenda to at least on one’s birthday celebration, a step is taken to do a breast cancer screening to be sure to live to see the next year.
“So, let’s make it to screen every year. Every year when it is your birthday we know how people are excited about birthdays they want plan parties, you want to go out with your friends and spend a lot of money because you save towards it. Let us plan also that as part of my birthday I would use part of that money to get a general screening and especially as a woman get your breasts checked because for you to be around the next year, the next and the next to have wonderful birthday parties you need to be healthy and strong”, she added.
Founder of Dorothy’s Hope Foundation, Dorothy Amuah, who has been advocating for early detection, treatment and prevention over the past 11 years said she opted to go on that path to educate, empower and roll out outreach programmes so that more lives can be saved in a developing country such as Ghana.
Throughout the year, she said, there are programmes across the country to screen, collect data, and educate women and even men who she said must be involved in the assessment process, urging them to serve as support system. She called for sustained efforts and activities and not just limit it to October which is described as breast cancer month (Pink October)
As a survivor, Amuah, who was diagnosed at age 29 in the United States (US), said DHF has taken the responsibility to offer help to women in diverse ways.
“And then if you are unfortunately diagnosed with the disease, we act as support system mentally, we encourage them emotionally, financially, we also have survivors network that visits the hospital and we encourage them to talk to other breast cancer patients, to share their experiences”, she disclosed.
As a health professional, Amuah said “I personally volunteer some of my services to some hospitals on a regular basis and I take them through what to expect when they are being disguised, when they are going through chemotherapy and radiotherapy etcetera”.
According to her even though the Foundation has been around and a lot of works have been done, her challenge has been that it appears there is still a lot that needs to be done. Adding that breast cancer should not been seen as a disease caused by anyone or because of
“My biggest challenge is sometimes, I feel defeated because I feel like I have done so much but the impact is not where it needs to be. We have to change the narrative, we have to educate our people and let them know that breast cancer is a non-communicable disease that can affect anything, it is not something that is about a bad omen or spiritual or something in your family that causes [breast cancer\] so we are here to educate people about that as well and not to be afraid that it is not a death sentence if you are diagnosed”.
Another survivor and married woman with four children, who was diagnosed 2021 at a time she was pregnant said the journey through detection, treatment and recovery, even though was “not an easy journey” but she survived together with her baby.
Manyeyoo Kabutey said treating breast cancer is financially draining “because you have to spend a lot of money and if you don’t have relatives to support you, the thinking alone can kill you”.
She said many die of the disease due to anxiety and the fear indicating that it is important that patients have supportive spouses and families to make the treatment easier. She also urged women to screen at the appropriate health facilities,
“Please go for screening and save your lives”, Kabutey said.
There were contributions from other partners including Travel Deeper Inc., and GUBA Foundation.
Aside a 5k km walkathon from Cantonments to the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) garden in Accra, there were free screening for participants, market women and blood donation solely for breast cancer patients.
The final event dubbed Pink Tennis Tournament at the Burma Camp Sports Complex in support of cancer awareness comes off on Sunday October 19 from 6am to 6pm. Activities include free breast cancer screening.