Ghanaian women at risk of developing breast cancer early

Accra, June 8, GNA - A recent survey on breast cancer in Ghana indicated that out of the over 47,000 women screened nationwide and confirmed, 55 per cent of them were in their pre-menopausal age whilst 45 per cent were in their post-menopausal age.

In addition, Ghanaian women are at risk of developing breast cancer 10 to 15 years earlier than their counterparts in developed countries whilst the average age of detecting breast cancer in Ghana is 43 years.

Mrs Juliana Azumah=96Mensah, Minister of Women and Children's Affairs announced this during press briefing on the Breast and Cervical Cancer Fund in Accra on Wednesday.

The Ministry established the National Breast Cancer Fund Board in 2008 to plan, monitor and step up fundraising and awareness activities for the disease nationwide.

Mrs Azumah-Mensah said the prevalence rate for breast cancer in Ghana was between 0.41-1.11 per cent among women between 15-80 years whilst the most affected age group for breast cancer was between 35 to 45 years. She said the average age for breast cancer patients reporting for surgical treatment at a major referral centre in Accra was 51 years.

Mrs Azumah-Mensah said between early 2000 and July 2003 the Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Service and other donors jointly introduced a Cervicare Demonstration Project aimed at early detection and treatment of cervical pre-cancer during a single visit.

She said Visual Inspection of the cervix with Acetic Acid training and service in four centres including Accra, Amasaman, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital and the Kumasi South Hospital had been established.

Mrs Azumah-Mensah said out of the 3,665 women who were screened for cervical lesions over 18 months in 2001 to 2002, 13.2 per cent of them tested positive while 70.2 per cent of those eligible received immediate and 21 per cent received delayed treatment.

She said issues of breast and cervical cancers had been of grave concern to Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs since it affected the reproductive capacity of women, their social, economic as well their health status.

"As a country and a people our awareness level of the incidence of cancer is low therefore most families of victims still suffer heavy losses due to low survival rates," she added.

Mrs Azumah-Mensah called for increase in public awareness about the dangers of the disease and the measures to be adopted to minimise the incidence.

She noted that awareness creation could focus on the morbidity and mortality caused by the disease, what could be done to minimise the chances of women being infected and instituting mechanisms for early detection and treatment known to all the people in the urban and rural areas.