Cancers kill productive women

National, Normal
Source:

The National – Thursday, June 30, 2011

MANY Papua New Guinean women are dying at a productive age because of the increasing incidences of cervical cancer in the country, a day-long health seminar at the University of Papua New Guinea heard yesterday.
“The cancer of the cervix is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths affecting the female population between the ages of 31–40 years,” histo-pathologist and senior lecturer at the school of medicine and health science, Dr Jacob Morewaya said.
Morewaya said some of the risk factors related to cancer involved having sex at an early age or before maturity, being obese or overweight and smoking.
He said breast cancer was the second most common form of cancer women in the country suffered from.
“Breast cancer affects women between the ages of 41-50 years.
“Most known cases are genetically inherited.
“Studies have also shown that change of diet could contribute to the cancer,” Morewaya said.
He stressed prevention through early detection and that women should pay frequent visits to clinics for pap smear tests.
He told women early detection for breast cancer was important.
He said it  involved going for a screening process, or doing monthly breast examinations to see if there were any unusual lumps.
Morewaya said that cancer was a lifestyle disease and affected the mouth, tongue, skin, liver, bone and the stomach.