Check yourselves, women told

Women are urged to do self-examination to detect early signs of breast cancer, according to the Health Department Cancer Control Programme.
Technical adviser Ellie Winge said early detection and treatement saved lives.
“Breast cancer affects both men and women and it is the second most common kind of cancer in women in Papua New Guinea today. Many women lose their battle with breast cancer because they were diagnosed when the cancer was at its late stage,” she said.
Winge said the “wear pink” day today should  serve as a call to every man and woman to do breast examination for any signs of abnormality, including lumps, swellings, changes in the size of the breast, nipple discharge that starts suddenly, skin distortion (pulling-in of the nipple), dimpling and so on.
“To do self-examination for lumps, you use your left hand to check your right breast and use you right hand to check your left breast and if you find any lumps, go to the nearest health facility for help,” she said. “The best time for women to check themselves is after their menstrual period”
Winge said October was national breast cancer awareness month and it was a time to raise awareness about the importance of early detection of breast cancer,
“You can make a large difference in terms of prevention, talking with your friends, families and community members about the importance of self-breast examination,” she said.
“Encourage all mothers to get involved, people should not die from breast cancer, nobody should, it’s just negligence.”