Let’s prevent cancer through regular education, screening

 Cancer is a dangerous illness that might cause death, therefore receiving a cancer diagnosis makes a person anxious or afraid.

Regretfully, even in situations where symptoms are detected early enough to enable treatment, cer­tain cancers cause symptoms that cannot be relieved by supportive care or medication.

This is because cancer cells are capable of overrunning healthy cells and causing potentially fatal consequences.

Numerous families have been saddened and overburdened when loved ones and breadwinners pass away from malignancies like breast, prostate, cervical, and throat can­cer, among others.

Although efforts have been made to discover a cure, the alarm­ingly high rate of cancer in Ghana and many other nations has not yet produced the desired outcomes. In many nations, this is placing a tre­mendous strain on the healthcare systems.

Cancer is a disease that knows no bounds, but according to re­ports, the number of teachers be­ing affected by the disease is rising. This has raised serious concerns for the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT).

GNAT authorities claim that the number of their members afflicted with cancer is rising. Data from the GNAT Cancer Foundation (GCF) shows that there are 2,666 GNAT cancer patients at the Sweden Gha­na Medical Center, of whom 2,388 are active duty members and 278 are retirees.

According to GNAT officials, there has been a significant in­crease in cancer cases among teachers in the Volta Region, name­ly in the Ho District, Akatsi-North, and Hohoe Municipality.

This is cause for alarm for everyone. The World Health Organ­isation (WHO) reports that, with an estimated 9.6 million fatalities, or 1 in 6 deaths, in 2018, cancer was the second most common cause of death worldwide.

The statistics are worrying, and regular screening is necessary for early identification and treatment of cancer due to its severe reper­cussions.

Cancer treatment places a great deal of physical, psychological, and financial burden on patients, families, communities, and health systems.

Advocacy is necessary to raise awareness about cancer and to enhance education about cancer prevention, treatment, and man­agement strategies.

The Spectator believes that regular hospital screening is crucial to resolving the issue, since some patients neglect to check in and wait until their conditions worsen before seeking medical assistance.

To stop cancer from starting, people need to maintain a normal body weight, consume a balanced diet, exercise frequently, and ab­stain from tobacco use.

A good healthcare delivery system must also be prioritised by governments in order to aid in early detection and the survival of many people with cancer and other chronic diseases.