The greatest threat to women battling breast cancer is not the disease itself but delays in seeking medical attention, the Municipal Health Director of Klottey Korle, Dr Linda Baafi, has warned.
She said women seeking medical treatment late significantly reduced their survival chances, increased treatment costs and raised the likelihood of patients losing one or both breasts.
In a presentation on breast cancer at the launch of this year’s breast health awareness campaign screening and counselling exercise in Parliament last Thursday, she said while women diagnosed at an early stage had a much better chance of survival, the outlook deteriorated sharply when the cancer spread to surrounding tissues, lymph nodes and other parts of the body.
“The real enemy is not breast cancer, but the real enemy here is lateness since when you report late, it is more expensive to deal with and far fewer people survive,” she said.
Disturbing statistics
Dr Baafi said about 15 women were diagnosed with breast cancer in Ghana every day, with nearly seven of them dying due to seeking late medical attention.
“Every single day, including today, as we are here looking at the statistics, 15 women today, October 22, will be told that they have breast cancer and out of these women, almost seven of them will pass away,” she said.
The event, which was on the theme: “Early action, better outcomes,” was jointly organised by Parliament and the Korle Klottey Municipal Health Directorate.
Do away with fears
Dr Baafi identified fear, misconceptions, stigma and concerns about the cost of treatment as major reasons some women delayed seeking medical care.
She said some women believed that a breast cancer diagnosis amounted to a death sentence, a misconception she said needed to be urgently addressed.
“No. When you engage survivors, some people have been cancer-free for almost 20 years, some 25 years, 30 years,” she said, emphasising that early detection and appropriate treatment could significantly improve outcomes.
She also cautioned against the belief that a breast lump was harmless if it did not cause pain.
“A painless lump never means a harmless lump. Usually, the ones that are not painful are the ones that will secretly be harming you,” she said.
She urged anyone who detected a lump to visit the nearest health facility promptly, preferably within two weeks, rather than waiting for the symptoms to worsen.
Dr Baafi said breast cancer screening was available free of charge at several health facilities in the Klottey Korle area and encouraged women to take advantage of the services.
Spiritual beliefs
On spiritual beliefs, the medical experts said prayer and medical treatment were not mutually exclusive and urged women to seek professional care even as they relied on their faith.
“We believe that prayer and hospital can go together. Early treatment is actually God's gift to us. Because once it is found early, it means God is giving you a chance,” she said.
She further urged women not to allow financial concerns to prevent them from seeking early treatment, citing the availability of government-supported health initiatives, including the Mahama Cares programme, also known as the Ghana Medical Trust Fund.
Risk factors
Dr Baafi identified several factors that could increase a person's risk of developing breast cancer, including being female, advancing age, early onset of menstruation, late menopause and a family history of the disease.
She also mentioned obesity, alcohol consumption, smoking and certain hormonal medications as factors requiring attention, advising women to consult health professionals before taking hormonal drugs.
She encouraged women to maintain a healthy weight, exercise regularly, limit alcohol consumption and avoid smoking to reduce their risk of breast cancer and other health conditions.
