Women urged to embrace mastectomy to avoid future breast cancer

President of the Breast Society of Ghana (BSoG), Dr. Hannah Ayettey-Anie, has entreated women to stop dreading mastectomy and visit the hospital at first notice of a lump or any abnormality in their breast to repel against future disasters. According to Dr. Ayettey-Anie, mastectomy, which was surgery to remove the breast as a way to treat or prevent breast cancer, was preventing a lot of women with concerns from having their breasts checked intimating that an early step could preserve the breast. “According to our research, a lot of people with issues do not turn up because of fear of mastectomy but this can be prevented if they come early enough when they notice they may be at risk. “If you don’t come early enough, the situation becomes difficult to salvage,” she disclosed. Dr. Ayettey-Anie who is also a Senior Specialist Radiation and Clinical Oncologist at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), made these remarks during BSoG’s maiden health walk through the principal streets of Accra to sensitise the public on breast cancer and breast care. The walk, under the theme "Early detection saves lives and living beyond breast cancer together we can”, started from the KBTH, through James Town, Ministries, Adabraka, Circle, Mamprobi, and ended at the KBTH. In the process, the group of over 100 people that mainly consisted of nurses, doctors, nursing students, and other healthcare workers shared flyers on breast cancer with the public. Dr. Ayettey-Anie also encouraged people that have been diagnosed with breast cancer to not default but rather stick to their treatments and drugs as that could prolong their survival. She added that there was also the option of plastic surgery, where a different part of the body was taken to reconstruct the breast, and said it was a safe process as it was difficult to identify that the breast was replaced. On his part, Dr. Charles Arhinful, a General Surgeon at the Volta River Authority (VRA) Hospital cautioned women who were 40 years and above to get a mammogram done every year for the early detection of any abnormalities in the breasts. He explained that it was the mammogram that could pick cancer when it had not yet formed a lump and encouraged them to avail themselves to the process. Dr. Arhinful also urged women to take this October month of awareness on breast cancer to check and screen their breasts at any approved centre offering the service.