Health News of Monday, 3 November 2008

Source: GNA

Breast Cancer is curable if detected early - Rev. Sackey

Accra, Nov. 3, GNA - The Reverend Fr. Victor Sackey, Executive Secretary of the Cancer Society of Ghana this weekend advised Ghanaians, especially women to have periodic cancer check-ups since breast cancer was curable if detected early.

He said most people who reported at the hospital with cancer cases went rather late when the disease had reach a stage where very little could be done.

He stressed the need for people to go for regular examination. Rev. Sackey gave the advised when the Cancer Society organized a cancer screening exercise at the Adabraka and Maamobi Polyclinics in Accra simultaneously, to create awareness about the need for people to know their cancer status.

The exercise, which had over 200 people attending, screened participants for breast cancer, prostate cancer and cervical cancer. Rev. Sackey said the screening exercise should have been done earlier and noted that since the society started the periodic free screening exercises at various polyclinics, they have been able to attend to about 1500 people and have referred 80 breast cancer cases and 15 cases of prostate cancer to the hospitals. He urged Ghanaians to patronize such health programmes, since it helped people to know their health status and seek treatment if any disease is detected.