Early cancer detection important

Editorial

THE struggle is real with breast cancer taking a drastic shift in pattern and becoming common in Papua New Guinea.
Over time, the pattern has turned into a marathon – a race against time, cancer stage, acceptance, age and now proper treatment.
The health system’s lack of facilities to cater for the rising number of cases and the cost of treatment needs to be addressed.
You cannot control your race.
Treatment is expensive.
There is no proper facility in the country to treat cancer and treatment overseas is the only option.
But when you consider the risk factors for breast cancer – and there are many, sadly – there is a key element over which you do have an advantage, and that is early detection. Currently, there is not sufficient knowledge on the causes of breast cancer, therefore, early detection of the disease remains the cornerstone of breast cancer control.
When breast cancer is detected early, and if adequate diagnosis and treatment are available, there is a good chance that breast cancer can be cured.
If detected late however, curative treatment is often no longer an option.
Early detection can only come about through awareness and October is marked as the breast cancer awareness month, in countries across the world.
Doctors at Port Moresby General Hospital say the number of women going into operation is alarming in the (Port Moresby General) hospital and it is a great concern and questions are asked by experts if people are watching their diets.
A surgeon at the Port Moresby General Hospital said his team saw on average about 40 new patients every Monday morning during our clinical checks.
A quarter of these patients will usually present a breast problem – usually a lump, an ulcer or they come with macerated, large breasts.
The data he recorded over five years indicated that 60 per cent of these patients have cancer. This means out of every 10 patients with a breast problem, six of them will have cancer while the other four will have some other infection or disease.
But even more alarming is the younger, fertile, age-group of women presenting with breast cancer.
Many are urban dwelling, working-class between the ages of 25 and 35.
Events held this month is to help increase attention and support for the awareness, early detection and treatment as well as palliative care of this disease.
According to the World Health Organisation breast cancer is the most frequent cancer among women, impacting over 1.5 million women each year, and causes the greatest number of cancer-related deaths among women.
While breast cancer rates are higher among women in more developed regions, rates are increasing in nearly every region globally.
In order to improve breast cancer outcomes and survival, early detection is critical.
There are two early detection strategies for breast cancer: early diagnosis and screening.
Women, please have your breasts examined by an expert health practitioner, your nurse or doctor; your doctor should be able to refer you early if there is any suspicion or doubt of cancer.
Every individual should be vigilant with what they consume.
Let’s make it all our individual right and fight to have a healthy life so we can build not just ourselves, but our families, our communities and this wonderful country we call home – Papua New Guinea.