Hundreds Troop In For Opemsuo Radio’s Free Breast Screening

Hundreds of people from the precincts of the Manhyia Palace and without, filed in to have their breasts examined for any sign of breast cancer on Saturday, kind courtesy Opemsuo Radio and partners.

The screening was part of the radio station’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in partnership with the Komfo Anokye Society of Family Physicians of Ghana and the Manhyia District Hospital.

It took place on November 4, 2023, at the forecourts of the Manhyia Palace from 6 a.m. to noon.

The medical screening went beyond screening as participants were also educated on breast cancer, self-examination and its processes.

Participants who were found with anything abnormal were referred either to the Manhyia District Hospital or the KATH.

Speaking to opemsuo.com, a member of the Radio station’s Events department, Mr Derrick Black said the event seeks to join the plethora of institutions and organisations trumpeting and creating awareness of the lethal disease which is on record to have accounted for 685, 000 deaths globally in 2020.

He said, “We are doing the screening for our on-air and online customers as well as residents of Manhyia and Kumasi at large.”

On their part, Dr Albert Adusei Dua, the Senior Medical Officer of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) said the collaboration is part of their campaigns against Breast Cancer.

“We organized a lot of breast cancer awareness campaigns and screening last month and we decided to crown it with this partnership with Opemsuo Radio here in the Manhyia Palace for traditional rulers, royals and residents in Kumasi.”

He noted that KATH’s advocacy transcends the month of October as it conducts year-round breast cancer screening at the hospital.

“Our advocacy is daily not just October. Though we take advantage of October month which is breast cancer Awareness month, we don’t let our advocacy guard down at the end of October.

Laudable
Afia Grace, a resident of Manhyia lauded the initiative and commended Opemsuo Radio and Partners for the screening.

In an interview with opemsuo.com, she said it was her first time undergoing breast cancer screening.

“We live here at the residence of Otumfuo and since we haven’t undergone this exercise before we decided to join and know our status and the way forward. I came out negative after the screening. I was, however, advised to self-examine myself three days after menstruation. I was also told to take advantage of the breast cancer awareness month and undertake a mammogram.”

Breast cancer
Throwing more light on the disease, Dr Adusei told opemsuo.com, that breast cancer emanates from an outgrow of cells in the breast resulting in an abnormal transformation.

He identified a change in the colour of the breast, a new lump in the breast or underarm, weight loss and a wound on the breast as some warning signs of Breast Cancer.

He stressed that although breast screening does not prevent cancer, the exercise when done regularly, ensures early detection for treatment.

Statistics
In Ghana, Dr Adusei said 4,000 people are diagnosed with breast cancer annually. 50% to 70% of these persons, he added, lose their lives due to late reporting.

Globally, statistics from the World Health Organisation (WHO) show that 2.3 million women were diagnosed with breast cancer and 685,000 deaths in 2020.

The WHO also found that as of the end of 2020, there were 7.8 million women alive who were diagnosed with breast cancer in the past 5 years, making it the world’s most prevalent cancer.