Experts call for early cancer screening

Mar 10, 2017

"Early detection is important because when abnormal tissue or cancer is found early, it may be easier to treat..."

Mary Akello, 50, resident of Luzira has been having pain in her left breast. Completely oblivious of what is happening; Akello kept on postponing medical check-ups.  But the pain persisted until an opportunity came yesterday when the Ministry of Health provided free health checkup for women and adolescent girls.

"I have been having pain in my breast for one year, but I could not afford going for checkup. When I heard about this camp I felt it is the right time. I have been diagnosed and referred to Mulago hospital for treatment," she recounts. Akello is a mother of six children.

The obstetrics and gynecology and laboratory services camp held at the Uganda National Health Laboratory Services (UNHLS) was organized by the health ministry in Butabika, a Kampala suburb to mark International women's day.

The women were also screened various ailments including sickle cell, Hepatitis B, and HIV/AIDS. Adolescent and family planning services were also provided.

Dr. Charles Kiggundu, a consultant gynecologist from the health ministry revealed that cancer of the cervix kills 7500 women in Uganda annually. He adds that this disease mainly affected women ranging from 45 to 50 years.

"We have been dying from infectious diseases such as smallpox, bubonic plague, influenza and malaria but now its cancer killing women," Kiggundu noted.

He attributed to increase on cancer of the cervix to failure by women to go for checkup because they fear to expose their private parts, adding that any woman who is sexually active is likely to get cancer of the cervix.

"Early detection is important because when abnormal tissue or cancer is found early, it may be easier to treat. By the time symptoms appear, cancer may have begun to spread and is harder to treat", Dr. Kiggundu explained.

He advised that by the age of 18, all women should be checked with cancer to find out any abnormal growth in the breast. "Cancer of the breast starts as a painless process. This prompts people not to show up for test".

In a bid to reduce cervical cancer, Dr. Kiggundu encouraged women to abstain from sex until they clock 20 years.

He also advised women to practice safe sex practices including avoiding performing sex with multiple partners. "The more you have sex with different partners, the high risk to contract it". 

Dr. Alan Muluta, the Assistant Commissioner of prevention of disease control in the health ministry said screening helps doctors find and treat several types of cancer early.

"The only way to prevent cancer is to screen ourselves and test once in a year to have it treated," he advised. This he said reduces cancer.

Muluta also tasked men to support their women at household level like what the ministry has done for them at international level.

 

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});