HEALTH authorities says about half of the women being diagnosed with breast disease in the country decline to have their breasts removed.
The Ministry of Health official Dr John Hue highlighted this yesterday saying; “about half of women refuse mastectomy.”
He mentioned this at the handing over of the new mammogram machine at the National Referral Hospital yesterday.
Mastectomy is the medical term for the surgical removal of one or both breasts, partially or completely.
He said those who refuse mastectomy would have the natural history of the tumour ulcerating, infected with a lot of discharges and odour and becomes a terrible way to die.
“I think there is a lot of challenge in educating women on breast diseases including cancer,” Dr Hue said.
“So far, this year we have 32 cases all of them advanced that is more than 5cm.
“Age range between 28-70 years, they come from all walks of life, about half of women have no knowledge or very little knowledge about breast cancer, 13 percent do BSE, 43 percent refuse surgery.”
“Having a mammography machine installed is a good start but we have to develop other areas particularly to have a more holistic care of our patients,” Dr Hue said.
By TRIXIE CARTER