Women aged 40 urged to screen for breast cancer - Experts

HEALTH|CANCER|UCI

Health experts at Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI) have called upon women who have clocked 40 to screen for breast cancer.

Dr Noleb Mugisha the head of the Comprehensive Cancer Community programme (CCCP) UCI explained that they are using mammography to look for any signs of breast cancer for women who are aged 40 and above. He added that all screening in government health facilities is done at no cost.

Mammography is an x-ray that checks for breast cancer in women. The images that it produces are called mammograms.

Mugisha highlighted that women who delay their first pregnancies up to the age of 40 have high chances of getting breast cancer. Other risk factors for breast cancer include Alcohol and women who do not breastfeed their babies among others.

‘'It has been discovered that alcohol is associated with breast cancer. The more alcohol you take the risk from suffering from breast cancer.'' He reminded people to always involve themselves in breast cancer screening.

Mugisha further said all cancers in general at start show no pain as the disease grows adding that, by the time a patient feels pain or gets symptoms, cancer will be already in its advanced stages.

He said in Uganda it's not a common practice for people to go for a medical check-up when someone is fine.

Last year, UCI treated at least 515 new patients with breast cancer and lost 26 patients with the same.

According to Mugisha, breast cancer was also common in men adding that last year, they also treated 37 men with breast cancer, saying many of them came when the disease was very advanced.

He encouraged both men and women to make sure that they learn how to examine their breasts, emphasising that many of the women they have treated with the same had identified the swellings in their breasts by themselves.

‘'When we encourage people to be conscious about their breasts men too are inclusive, no man should think that they cannot suffer from breast cancer. Breast cancer is treatable cancer and it can be cured,'' he revealed.

The Executive Director of the Uganda Cancer Society (UCS), Paul Ebusu called for a need for a National Cancer Control policy and plan.

"We don't have a National Cancer Control policy and plan; we want to put the government to task to put this in place. This will provide a supportive environment for cancer care," he said.

The Chief Executive Officer of Uganda Non-Communicable Diseases Alliance (UNCDA), Christopher Kwizera said people with breast cancer have struggled during the COVID-19 pandemic like any other people living with Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), given the disruptions in access to health services.