Number of cancer checks increasing

By STEPHANIE BAWO
THE number of women going to the Port Moresby General Hospital for breast cancer checks has increased this year, Sister Ellie Winge says.
Winge, who is the manager of the oncology unit, said with more awareness done by the Port Moresby Cancer Relief Society and other corporate bodies, more women had come forward to get themselves tested.
Breast screening had outnumbered other screening tests.
But, she could not give specific figures on how many more women were now seeking breast cancer checks there.
She said they had detected other health problems when testing the women for breast cancer such a high blood pressure, Non-Hogskins disease, skin cancer, fungal diseases and gynaecology problems.
Winge said it was good to see more women coming in for screening as this helped them to identify the real cause of the patients’ illnesses as some were not cancer but other infections and diseases.
She encouraged men to come in for tests as cancer of the breast not only affected women, but men as well.
It was the third highest killer cancer in PNG and was increasing each year.
Winge said awareness on breast cancer and other forms of cancer was good as it could make a difference in helping treat diseases.
The breast screening test at Port Moresby General Hospital is conducted every Friday and is free of charge.
Winge said they would be buying breast prosthesis from Australia through the cancer society in Australia for patients who needed it.
This breast prosthesis has an Amoeba bra, which is a specifically designed bra that comes with the breast prosthesis to help breast cancer patients who have lost one of their breasts through cancer.
The prosthesis costs K1,500 and the bra costs K700.