The Manipal Hospitals in India and the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) have organised an online Breast Cancer awareness workshop for female journalists across the country.
The workshop highlighted the importance of fighting breast cancer and the need for women to practice self-breast care examination.
It exposed journalists and the public to breast cancer prevention measures like; screening, tests for early detection, timely examination, and healthy life management.
According to the World Health Organisation, 2.3 million women worldwide were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020, with 6,85,000 fatalities.
Prof Dr Somshekharsp, the Chairman and Head of Department, Surgical Oncology – Mhepl Consultant Surgical and Gynae Oncology Manipal Hospital, Bangalore, said the Hospital was constantly working to educate people on the most frequent diseases of the day, as well as prevention and treatment options.
The importance of breast self-examination (BSE) could not be over-emphasised, the Robotic Surgeon, Hipec Super Specialist of the Manipal Comprehensive Cancer Centre, said.
Experts say in general, 40 per cent of women were able to discover their lumps on their own. Breast lumps are more likely to be detected early when self-examination is done on a regular basis.
Women can report the condition to a doctor at an earlier stage of the disease. There is no set age at which BSE should be initiated, but it could begin at the age of 20.
Dr Peush Bajpai, the Head of Department & Consultant, Medical Oncology, HCMCT Manipal Hospital, Dwarka, New Delhi, said it was crucial for women to be aware of BSE because delays in diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer could increase the risk of death.
“The negative repercussions can have a wide-ranging impact on the patient’s life. With October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, it is important for every one of us to make the necessary choices and start doing BSE once a month,” he said.
Mrs Linda Asante-Agyei, the Vice-President, GJA, commended Manipal Hospitals for the education and expressed the joy that though “breast cancer is fatal, now, we know it’s curable when detected early and treatment is painless.”
She urged women to be mindful of their bodies and know how to detect suspicious tumours and breast cancer symptoms.
Mrs Asante-Agyei said workshops and open discussions about breast cancer on a regular basis empowered women to seek early treatment and called on journalists to intensify the education and empower the public with knowledge.
“Breast cancer awareness is an essential strategy in primary healthcare and it should be adopted by all facilities, district hospitals, and dedicated cancer centres for optimal results,” she said.
“As journalists, let us step up our game and contribute to changing the narrative by developing innovative programmes to educate our target audience.”