Cervical cancer kills women more than breast cancer - Dr Sarbin

A Gynaecologist at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) Dr Kwadwo Sarbin has disclosed that cervical cancer kills women more than breast cancer saying most cases about cervical cancers are not reported to medics on time.

Dr Sarbin bemoaned the lack of attention given to cervical cancer, adding that it is difficult for women to know that they have cervical cancer as compared to breast cancer where people report lumps in their breasts.

‘To give you a better picture, is to compare cervical cancer to breast cancer, it has over taken breast cancer, as I am talking to you now, because we have made lots of noise about breast cancer, most people report lumps in their breasts. Cervical cancer is treatable so report early to doctors,’ he entreated.

He indicated that lots of women who die of cervical cancer in the villages are not recorded adding that they only have institutional figures.

Speaking on Ultimate Breakfast Show hosted by Lantam Papanko, Dr Sarbin attributed lack of data relating to cervical cancer to how people keep mum about diseases affecting their private parts.

‘So you see a woman who has reached menopause experiencing menstruation and goes to the herbalist, they complain that they have dysmenorrhea (anidanea), most of them are cancer. But the herbalist will give medicine for dysmenorrhea and this old lady will be taking it, till she passes on,’ he observed.

According to him, apart from blood that flows during menstruation and virgins who experience blood flow during their first sexual intercourse, women who bleed should not hesitate to visit hospitals.

He asserted that people need to be educated on the dangers associated with cervical cancer if left untreated.

‘Cervical cancer awareness is very key, we should educate people about it just like we are doing for breast cancer, the NGO’s should also organise cervical cancer programmes,’ he suggested.