Kumasi, Jan. 1, GNA - The Oncology Directorate of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) has organized a three-day free breast and other cancer screening for residents of Kumasi and other towns in the Ashanti and Brong Ahafo regions.

About 500 people including men and children were counselled, screened and educated on the various types of cancer, their early detection and the need for frequent self-examination of the breast, especially by women.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency on the last day of the exercise on Friday, Dr Baffour Awuah, Head of the Oncology Directorate, said the main objective of the exercise was to encourage people to undergo frequent medical check-ups to know their health status in order to ensure early detection of diseases.

He said most people especially women were dying of breast cancer, because they reported to the hospitals at the terminal stages where treatment was very expensive and almost impossible. Dr Awuah said the exercise was also to educate the public, especially women to undergo frequent self-examination of the breast and report any defects early enough for treatment. He was not happy that, most women who had cancer were below the age of 50 and said that called for a serious attention to be given to the disease.

Dr Awuah said 10 of the women who were screened were found to have the disease, while 20 of them had been referred for further investigations, adding that, the exercise had also helped expose other diseases besides cancers.

He appealed to corporate bodies and agencies as well as individuals to sponsor the Directorate to undertake frequent free screening exercises to inculcate preventive medical care among the public. Dr Awuah said there was the need for intensive public education and awareness creation on the disease.