MPs call for public education on breast cancer

Page 13 (Pol), Nov 8, 2008

Story: Kweku Tsen & Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
THE alarming rate at which breast cancer disease is spreading in the country yesterday caught the attention of Members of Parliament, who called for a more intensive public education on it for those affected to seek remedy early enough to avoid complications.
The MPs were contributing to a statement made on the floor of the House by the MP for Ho East, Mrs Juliana Azumah-Mensah, on the breast cancer menace in the country.
Mrs Azumah-Mensah told that House that over 400 new cases of the disease were diagnosed at the Breast Cancer Clinic of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital every year.
The Oncology Department of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital also recorded a total of 462 cases of different types of cancer last year.
The statement was made by the MP as a prelude to a breast cancer seminar, which would be organised by the Women’s Caucus in Parliament on the theme: “Be breast cancer aware not breast cancer scare” in Parliament today.
The MP said it was important that the government, through its ministries and departments, in collaboration with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the media, championed the crusade to minimise the spread of the disease.
“Indeed, men whose wives may be affected should also join the crusade against the disease and encourage their wives, daughters and nieces to do Breast Self Examination (BSE).
Mrs Azumah-Mensah said it was a fact that a lot of women had different sizes of lumps in their breast and probably with cancer at various stages but had refused or were afraid to come forward for screening.
“This fear is due to the fact that women are aesthetically attached to their breasts and fear that their breasts would be removed when they were diagnosed to be cancerous,“ she said.
The MP said it was for that reason that the Women’s Caucus was championing the crusade against breast cancer to get the message across to women all over the country and the rest of the world to seek help early to save their breasts.
Contributions by the various MPs drew hilarious laughter in the House as they described the various functions of the breast.
The MP for Jomoro, Mr Lee Ocran, said that efforts should be made to save women’s breast, since “the breast is not only for babies but for all ages”.
Other MPs called for intensive public education on the disease for especially rural women, most of whom were totally ignorant of the disease.