Former Head of Korle-Bu Surgical Unit, Professor Clegg Lamptey, has revealed that World Health Organisation (WHO) research estimates that 4,500 women in Ghana get breast cancer every year.
“Now breast cancer constitutes one-third of cancers in females making it the number one cancer that affects women worldwide and in Ghana,” Prof. Lamptey told Adom News in an interview at a ceremony where Ernest Chemist donated GH¢10,000.00 to the Korle-Bu Breast Unit.
According to him, a combination of breast cancer cases in men and women constitute 22 per cent of all cancer cases in the country.
Prof. Lamptey described the situation as very worrying and called on all stakeholders to come together and fight it.
He noted that some women, who are diagnosed with the disease, usually abandon the hospital treatment and go to prayer camps, but they later return to the hospitals for treatment when things get worse.
According to the Professor, patients often return to the hospital at a time when the disease has reached an incurable stage.
“There are many reasons people come late because they believe that the moment they come, they will have their breast removed and as soon as they have their breast removed, they will die, but that is not the case,” he added.
One of the workers at the Korle-Bu Breast Unit, Asamoah Bonsu, said now more people are reporting breast cancer cases to the hospital because of the increasing awareness.
He added that because health insurance covers most of the drugs, it makes cost of treatment a little cheaper than before.
“Cancer patients used to pay GH¢1,000 any time they go to the hospital, but with the intervention of National Health Insurance, no cancer patient pays more than GH¢400.00,” Mr Bonsu noted.
Branch Communications Manager at Ernest Chemist, Sharon Anim, said they will continue to support the Breast Unit to create more awareness about breast cancer and help those with the disease to undergo surgeries.
“Throughout this month of October, we are supporting the Breast Unit to do free screening at Junction Mall and Accra Mall every weekend,” the Communications Manager noted.
Source: Adomonline.com|Adom News|Kwame Kulenu