US social worker says breast cancer is a family disease

Accra, Oct. 19, GNA - Ms Susan Carter, Leader of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, a U.S. based organization that promotes cancer awareness and prevention, on Saturday said breast cancer is a family disease that affects everyone within the family, hence the need for people to join hands to protect families.

She said breast cancer did not only affect females but males as well but it affects more women and urged Ghanaians to learn about the disease to help those who get the disease to manage it effectively. Ms Carter said this when she led a group of nine professionals concerned about cancer from the US to call on the Ga Manste, Nii Tackie Tawiah III.

Among the group was Ms Gabriete Union, a famous U.S actress who starred in the film "Bad boys II" with Will Smith. Ms Carter said the group would be working in Ghana through the Ghana Breast Cancer Alliance, a group of Ghanaian non governmental organizations, which focus and promote breast cancer awareness as well as the Exchange of Hope Hospital in Kumasi, a cancer clinic that the group is supporting.

"We will continue to dialogue to figure out the exact needs and we will continue to be engaged in the breast cancer programmes to make an impact and make a difference."

Ms Carter said Ghana is the first country that the Susan G Komen for the Cure group have been able to assemble such a group of professionals to learn about how the disease is affecting especially the Ghanaian woman.

Nii Tackie Tawiah III said until recently many people in Ghana thought breast cancer was only a problem that affected women but said he had personally had the realization that breast cancer affected everybody since one of his male siblings had died of breast cancer. He said the Ga chiefs were committed and concerned about the disease and would continue to promote the message to create awareness about the disease.

Nii Tackie Tawiah appealed to the group to assist the Ga state in building a clinic solely for breast cancer management and prevention. "The Ga state is ready to provide land," he said and urged the group to continue providing clinical services as well as giving Ghanaians enough information about the disease. "We now know that breast cancer can be controlled, contained and managed," Nii Tackie Tawiah III said.