The President of Frimpong-Manso Institute, Rev. Prof. Paul Frimpong-Manso, has stated that early detection of breast cancer remains the best way to avert the adverse effects of this health menace.
This was contained in a press release issued by the Institute on October 9, 2023.
In the release signed by Rev. Prof Frimpong Manso and Dr. Samuel Nkansah Darko, a Clinical Biochemist/Molecular Biologist at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), they shared some eye-opening information on breast cancer to create awareness as the world marks October as the Breast Cancer awareness month.
The Institute indicated that statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO) suggests that “in 2020 alone, about 2.3 million women, globally, were diagnosed of breast cancer with about 685, 000 of them passing away as a result of this condition. The statistics from 2020 further suggests that breast cancer has been the most predominant cancer among females with 7.8 million women being reported to be living with the cancer for 5 years.”
Rev. Prof. Frimpong and his team also identified some major causes of the cancer to be “obesity, hereditary traits, excessive alcohol intake, early menarche, tobacco use, and many others.”
The team also stated that the cancer does not affect women only, but also a small percentage of men who present the symptoms associated with it.
With some patients experiencing other symptoms like breast lumps without pain, change in breast size or nipple appearance and bloody fluid from nipple, many others do not show any signs during the initial stages of the cancer.
The institute, thus, advised that “continual community engagement on the need for early and regular breast examination for all women who have reached their puberty as well as expert directions on healthy living conditions for both men and women in preventing the contraction of breast cancer, will go a long way to limiting the cancer’s effects on the Ghanaian populace.
By Esther Nyantakyiwaa Akaba