Doctor bemoans cancer upsurge

Kumasi, April 1, GNA - The Oncology Department of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) recorded a total of 462 cases of cancers last year, indicating an upsurge of the devastating disease, Dr Baffour Awuah, Head of the department has said.

He said 181 cases out of the figure were cervical cancer, 102 breast cancer cases, 23 prostate cancer cases while the rest were cancer cases related to the neck, head and other parts of the body.

Dr Awuah, who made this known at the end-of-year get-together of the department in Kumasi on Thursday, bemoaned the fatalistic nature of the disease and said the surging incidence was worrisome. He said the department recorded 56 cases of breast cancer in March 2004 alone.

The occasion was also used to sensitise opinion leaders and other members of the public on the dreadful nature of the disease and what can be done to prevent it.

He said the extent to which the disease was rising should be a source of concern to all since the World Health Organisation (WHO) has established that cancer was currently the cause of 12 per cent of all deaths worldwide annually.

Dr Awuah recommended the high intake of fruits and vegetables saying fruits have protective effects of decreasing the risk of the disease.

He also entreated the public to go for voluntary screening for early detection and prompt treatment to reduce fatalities.

Dr Anthony Nsiah-Asare, Chief Executive of KATH, appealed to philanthropists, corporate bodies and civil society to donate to a cancer development fund initiated by the hospital to assist in the treatment of needy patients whose cases can be treated early enough before it reaches terminal stages.