Breast cancer deaths among Ghanaian women high

Figures released by the World Health Organization (WHO) has revealed that a total of 2,000 Ghanaian women were diagnosed of breast cancer in the year 2012.

The report indicated that, 1,000 of the figure, representing 50 per cent of the cases died and so there was an increasing danger of complications for women in Ghana and the whole of Africa.

Breast cancer has been identified as the second leading cause of cancer deaths in Ghana, with about 2,900 cases being diagnosed annually and at least one of eight women with the disease dying.

Also, 1.7 million women were diagnosed of the disease worldwide of which 500,000, representing 28 per cent died.

Dr. Akwasi Anyanful, a senior lecturer at the University of Cape Coast School of Medical Science (UCCSMS) made this known at the third annual Oguaa breast cancer awareness campaign week on Saturday in Cape Coast, to commemorate this year’s breast cancer awareness month.

The programme was organized by Breast Screening Services, a Cape Coast based Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), in collaboration with the Centre for Gender, Research and Advocacy, UCC with support from Pledge Pink of UT Bank.

It was to create awareness of the disease and to let women, particularly, know that it could be prevented with early detection.

According to him, majority of Ghanaian women died of the disease because they did not report early to the hospital for early detection and treatment.

He charged women to report suspected signs of breast cancer to their doctors early for effective treatment to check preventable deaths

Dr. Anyanful said every woman was prone to the breast cancer disease as men were to prostate cancer and therefore should be aware of the disease and get screened as soon as possible.

The root causes of the disease are not yet known but hereditary and the lifestyle of individuals have been identified by doctors as some of the causes of the disease.

He advised women not to go for un-prescribed x-rays of their breast as too much exposure to radiation could expose them to the disease.

Dr. Anyanful, Mrs. Yvonne Nduom and Dr. Frank Ghartey, together with other prominent personalities, led an awareness walk through the principal streets of Cape Coast.