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Cancer is a group of diseases that cause cells in the body to change and grow out of control. Most types of cancer cells eventually form a lump or mass called a tumor and are named after the part of the body where the tumor originates.
The five most common cancers worldwide are lung, breast, bowel, prostate and stomach cancer.
The top cancer in women worldwide is breast cancer, which is increasing particularly in developing countries where the majority of cases are diagnosed in late stages.
Breast cancer begins in the breast tissue that is made up of glands for milk production, called lobules, and the ducts that connect the lobules to the nipple. The remainder of the breast is made up of fatty, connective and lymphatic tissues.
According to WHO and UICC, cancer is a growing public health concern. In 2012, there were 14.1 million new cases and 8.2 million cancer-related deaths worldwide.
The number of new cases is projected to increase to 21.7 million annually by 2030. The greatest impact is in low- and middle-income countries, many of which are ill-equipped to cope with the escalating burden of disease. In 2012, there were 4.3 million premature deaths from cancer worldwide, 75% of which were in low- and middle-income countries.
Speaking on Radio1 Breakfast Show ‘Susubiribi’, Dr. Beatrice Wiafe Addai, President of Breast Care International (BCI), and CEO of Peace and Love Hospitals, said Breast cancer can only be treated in hospitals and not prayer camps and herbs.
According to Dr. Wiafe there is no herbal medicine that has been approve by Ghana Drugs Authority that can cure Breast Cancer.
She charged corporate Ghana to assist BCI in whatever way possible to intensify the awareness creation exercise as poverty and ignorance combine to claim lives of some afflicted women.
“If you are a Pastor and someone with Breast cancer comes to you please direct her to the hospital, don’t wait till it becomes hard to cure”, she said.
Breast cancer typically produces no symptoms when the tumor is small and is most easily cured at this stage.
When breast cancer has grown to a size that can be felt, the most common physical sign is a painless lump.
Sometimes breast cancer can spread to the underarm lymph nodes and cause a lump or swelling, even before the original breast tumor is large enough to be felt.
Less common signs and symptoms include breast pain or heaviness; persistent changes to the breast, such as swelling, thickening, or redness of the breast’s skin; and nipple abnormalities such as spontaneous discharge (especially if bloody), erosion, inversion, or tenderness.
Pain or lack of pain, It is worthy of note, does not indicate the presence or the absence of breast cancer; hence, any persistent abnormality in the breast should be evaluated by a physician as soon as possible.
Source:radiooneghana.com/Agyapong Michael
