Do not ignore your armpit, it is part of your breast - Oncologist urges women

Oncologist from the Korle-Bu teaching hospital’s Chemotherapy Unit of the Breast Cancer Department, Eric Brobbey has urged women not to ignore their armpits when checking for lumps in their breasts.

According to him, the armpit forms part of the breast, and as such a lump found in the armpit must be taken seriously.

The breast cancer expert who was educating the Kasoa Zone Ahmadiyya Muslim Women Association during a breast cancer screening exercise, placed emphasis on the armpit because “it has taken many women by surprise because they did not pay attention to the armpit when they found lumps there. Others also did not check their armpits because they did not know it is part of their breast.”

The event was organized under the auspices of the Meena Breast Cancer Foundation (MBCF) as part of its outreach to sensitize women on breast cancer and also give support to struggling patients.

The Executive Director of Crime Check Foundation (CCF), Ibrahim Oppong Kwarteng who also leads the MBCF urged the participants to take education on the disease seriously because it is deadly.

He encouraged them to regularly check their breasts and not to wait until there is a yearly call for them to go for screening.

“Many people wait until it is October before they screen for breast cancer so if a lump has developed in the breast in January and you wait till October, the damage would have been caused already. There is nothing doctors could do about the situation so take education on breast cancer seriously. Our campaign is saving lives,” Mr. Kwarteng said.

Amina Oppong Kwarteng, wife of Mr. Kwarteng did not survive breast cancer treatment she was undergoing.

Her vision whiles in her sick bed was to wage a war against the canker, a dream her husband is keeping alive.

The MBCF has launched a sensitization and screening outreach in the country and three Senior High Schools have already benefited.