Breast cancer: Prayer camps not treatment centres – Oncologist

“Don’t just believe in spirituality about breast cancer, rather, seek early medical care,” an Oncology Nurse Specialist at the EffiaNkwanta Regional Hospital (ENRH), Ms. JacklineAddae,  has advised patients.

 Sharing her views with The Spectator on care of cancers and  treatment she argued that, medical care in addition to prayers, could save lives.

“Instead of patients roaming prayer camps and visiting spiritual homes until there seems to be no hope of survival from their conditions, cancer patients need to pay attention to early detection and seek professional medical advice and care,” MsAddae added. 

Giving testimonies of  success stories with early detection right through diagnosis and adequate treatment, she stated that there was hope for patients’ survival when the right decision was made promptly.

Ms. Addae  continued  “Even if there is a  spiritual element,  there is always a physical aspect so  the patient  needs  to start the treatment journey by reporting to the hospital and back  it with prayer.”

She said that the EffiaNkwanta Hospital established a breast care center in January 2022, and had since screened over 1,000 patients.

Statistics, the oncologist specialist said,  showed that between January and June this year, 741 patients  had visited the  Unit with 404 screened during outreach campaigns.

“The number of patients referred on mammogram stood at 366 while diagnosis made were 32,” MsAddae disclosed. 

She said,  breast cancer was real  and that women were at a higher risk of getting breast cancer than men and, therefore, entreated them to do self-examination seven days after menstruation through the ‘Touch, Look and Check’ (TLC) tools.

Experts in oncology treat cancer and provide medical care for a person diagnosed with cancer. The field of oncology has three major areas based on treatment: Medical Oncology, Radiation Oncology, and Surgical Oncology.

Medical oncologists treat cancer using medication including chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy, WHILE radiation oncologists treat cancer using radiation therapy, which is the use of high-energy x-rays or other particles to destroy cancer cells.

Surgical oncologists treat cancer using surgery, including removing tumour and nearby tissue during an  operation. This type of surgeon can also perform certain types of biopsies to help diagnose cancer.

In another development, the Health Service Manager of Gold Fields,  Dr.  Magdalene D. Bakari,  said that self – screening  was  critical  in early detection of breast cancer and rapid  medical response.

The expert gave the advice  at 2022 breast cancer awareness programme organised  by Abosso Gold Fields Limited  (AGL) through Gold Fields  Ghana Foundation (GFGF) at Huni Valley  in the Western Region, last Thursday.

She pointed out that,  with early detection of breast cancer, diagnosis and treatment were sure way  of survival.

DrBakari continued “ You must do self-screening by looking into the mirror and examine your breasts with hands and check whether there’s  a   lump. Do this every  month and the best time is after menstruation, that is when your breast is lowered. After two weeks, the breast becomes heavy.”

She told participants that breast cancer operations should be done depending on the stage of infection and that, chemotherapy could be performed on  patients to control  the spread.

From Clement Adzei Boye, Effia Nkwanta