Women have been urged to overcome fear, stigma and misconceptions surrounding breast cancer and seek early medical screening, as delayed diagnosis continues to put lives at risk.

The Deputy Volta Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Denis Korku Fiakpui, said women, including police personnel, must make regular breast cancer screening a priority because early detection and prompt treatment could save lives.

He said the demanding nature of police work often compelled female personnel to put the needs of others before their own health, warning that they could not effectively care for others while neglecting themselves.

DCOP Fiakpui was speaking yesterday at a breast cancer education and screening programme organised by the Volta Regional Police Ladies Association in Ho on the theme, “Early detection saves life”.

He said breast cancer remained one of the most common cancers affecting women worldwide, irrespective of their profession or social status, and urged policewomen to pay attention to changes in their bodies and seek medical attention promptly.

He noted that the police profession required discipline, courage, commitment and sacrifice, with personnel frequently undertaking demanding assignments, responding to emergencies and placing the welfare of others ahead of their own.

However, he said such commitment should not come at the expense of their health.

DCOP Fiakpui urged the women to familiarise themselves with possible warning signs of breast cancer and avoid the misconception that the disease affected only older women.

Although the risk increased with age, he said younger women could also develop the disease and should therefore take their health seriously.

He identified fear of diagnosis, stigma and misinformation as major obstacles to early medical attention, explaining that some women delayed seeking help because they were afraid of discovering that they had the disease.

Others, he said, wrongly believed they could not have breast cancer because they appeared healthy.

.The Volta Regional President of the Police Ladies Association, Chief Superintendent Rossina A.D. Gariba, said many women lost their lives to breast cancer because the disease was detected too late.

She attributed the situation largely to ignorance, fear and silence, which she described as major factors contributing to delays in seeking medical attention.

Chief Superintendent Gariba said the association organised the awareness and screening programme to encourage women to speak openly about breast cancer, understand the importance of self-examination and seek medical care without delay