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Women asked to seek early help for breast cancer
Dr Constantini
A consultant Obstetrician Gynecologist, Dr Dixie Constantini has cautioned women against self-medication on suspicion of anything unusual about their breasts.
“A breast infection that does not go away even after using multiple antibiotics should make you worry. You should see a doctor to confirm whether it is cancer or not. Don’t keep taking antibiotics. Early detection saves lives,” she said.
Dr. Constantini said this in an interview with The Spectator as part of her public education on breast cancer.
She said the discovery of anything unusual should not be taken for granted; “it must be followed immediately with a visit to the doctor to take a look.
“Go to the hospital to be screened; stay healthy and remember that early detection increases your chances of survival. Don’t take your life for granted. Don’t try to treat yourself at home because you are not a doctor. If you delay, it might be too late,” she said.
She advised women to desist from making herbalists or pastors their first point of call on suspicion of suspect breast cancer cases.
“The longer you wait, the more you reduce your chances of survival. Lots of death by breast cancer are preventable,” she said.
The Consultant Obstetrician Gynaecologist said breast cancer was one of the most common cancers found in women, adding that the fact that a person is a female put her at risk.
She said there were a couple of things that could put a person at risk of breast cancer however, but are also not automatic signals that one may get the disease at all cost.
She said a person who had ever used contraceptives or used contraceptives after menopause was placed at a slight risk.
Dr. Constantini observed that carrying breast cancer genes, not ever having children, early menarche, that is, first menses or late menopause usually after 55 years, radiation to your chest wall were also risk factors.
She also mentioned the cause as having a dense breast, having children late in life (usually after 28), being obese, smoking, drinking alcohol, certain breast lesions among others.
She said some symptoms to look out for included a thickened area of the breast that does not go away, a dimple on the breast that does not go away, a scab-like red or white crusted surface on the nipple that become sore and does not also go away.
“Breast infection doesn’t go away despite antibiotic therapy, when the breast feel swollen, reddened and painful. If antibiotics don’t improve situation after one week, see a doctor to take a look at it” she cautioned.
She said a breast lump does not always mean a person has cancer but it was important for a woman to have it checked.
Dr. Constantini said newly appearing blood vessels or veins were usually not a sign of cancer.
“This is a rare symptom; more often it is connected to weight gain, breastfeeding or Mondor’s disease. However, if veins become more pronounced on the skin outside of these changes, on the breast or near the collarbone (and sometimes accompanied with a swollen arm) this could be a sign of a breast cancer tumour near the surface of the skin, drawing more blood to itself,” she cautioned.
She said if one breast changes size, flattened, swollen or droops unexpectedly and does not seem to be connected to a menstrual cycle, they should not be taken for granted.
She said it was also important that women who were undergoing treatment for breast cancer strictly adhered to the treatment procedures and not allowed themselves to be distracted by others who were not medical personnel.
From Dzifa Tetteh Tay, Tema.
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GEXIM deepens relations with US EXIM Bank
A management team of the Ghana Export – Import Bank (GEXIM) led by the Acting Chief Executive, Sylvester Mensah met with the leadership of the Export–Import Bank of the United States (US EXIM) on Wednesday April 23, 2025 in Washington DC, United States of America.
The Acting President and Chairman of US EXIM, Mr. James C. Cruse and Vice President, International Relations, Ms. Isabel Galdiz received the GEXIM delegation, which included Deputy CEO for Banking, Mr. Moses Klu Mensah and Head of International Cooperation, Mr. Jonathan Christopher Koney at the headquarters of US EXIM.
The meeting offered the GEXIM team the opportunity to share the strategic direction of the Bank in line with the resetting agenda of the President of the Republic, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama for the repositioning of the Ghanaian economy into an export-led one by providing the requisite investment to Ghanaian businesses.
Mr. James C. Cruse expressed US EXIM’s eagerness to deepen its existing relations with GEXIM and proposed the signing of a new Cooperative Framework Agreement following the expiration of a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2019 to utilize US EXIM’s medium term loan guarantees to procure machinery by GEXIM for qualified Ghanaian Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs).
Mr.Sylvester Mensah thanked the Acting President and Chairman of US EXIM for hosting the GEXIM delegation and reaffirmed the Ghanaian government’s commitment to strengthening trade and investment between Ghana and its global partners for economic transformation of Ghana with GEXIM playing a pivotal role.
The two teams will be meeting on the sidelines of the 2025 US EXIM Annual Conference on 29th and April 30, 2025 to explore possible areas of collaboration and matching Ghanaian businesses to American companies. The meeting ended with an exchange of gifts.
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Many SOEs have been used as mere instruments for personal wealth accumulation –Pres.Mahama
President John Dramani Mahama has expressed concern over the misuse of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) for personal financial gain by individuals in leadership positions.
Speaking during a meeting with Chief Executives of specified entities under the State Interest and Governance Authority (SIGA) on Thursday, March 13, the President directly attributed the dire state of SOEs to their leadership, accusing chief executives, management teams, and governing boards of prioritising personal enrichment over organisational efficiency.
He pointed to bloated budgets, unjustified allowances, and unnecessary expenditures as factors draining public funds while SOEs continue to rely on government bailouts.
“Many SOEs have been used as mere instruments for personal wealth accumulation by appointees. The chief executives, management, and boards of these enterprises are responsible for this situation. Some SOEs have become perennial loss-makers, draining public funds with bloated budgets, unjustified allowances, and unnecessary expenditures while relying on government bailouts as if entitled to them. Many of these entities are at their lowest point in the entire history of the Fourth Republic,” he said.
President Mahama further noted that many SOEs have been plagued by inefficiencies, corruption, and mismanagement, leading to consistent financial losses. He cited the 2023 State Ownership Report by the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA), which highlighted systemic inefficiencies and wasteful expenditures within these entities.
He therefore reaffirmed his commitment to reforming under-performing SOEs and ensuring they serve national interests.
He warned that loss-making SOEs will no longer be tolerated and will either be merged, privatised, or closed.
“I will assess you based on your performance. If you do not align with the pace of the reset agenda, you may be asked to step aside. If that adds to the horror movie, so be it,” he added.
Source: Myjoyonline.com
