Rising Breast Cancer Cases Worry Health Professionals

Health Professionals of the Rotary Club of Enugu City Layout, Rotary International District 9140, have raised alarm over the ever rising cases of Breast cancer in the country.  They  therefore called on the three tiers of governments in Nigeria to urgently incorporate Breast Cancer Awareness programme  in their primary health care scheme with a view to saving  the lives of  women.  Making the call while briefing newsmen  in Enugu on the activities of the club’s Breast Cancer Awareness Initiative, the coordinator of the programme, Ogugua Nwankwu, revealed  that out of the 62 Breast Cancer clinics opened in the  South-East States, including Akwa-Ibom, in 2009, the medical team had received over 3,000 cases of breast cancer.  Expressing shock that despite the level of Nigeria’s development since independence in 1960, she noted that most Nigerian women including young girls, are not aware of the existence of breast cancer, blaming it on  what she called  ”Faulty National Health Programme”. She explained that breast cancer develops when a single cell begins to multiply out of control and forms a tumor, adding that in this complex situation, some cells may break away and travel to other parts of the body to form new tumors. The coordinator, however, identified age, family history, hormone replacement therapy, consumption of oral contraceptive pills, obesity and excessive alcohol intake as well as menstruation at early age or late experience of menopause as some of the possible factors responsible for breast cancer among women, and suggested early breast cancer screening as a way out.  Also speaking, the president of the Rotary club of Enugu City Layout, Mr. Chidi Uzuegbu, said that the club in October 2009, in partnership with District 6200 in USA, had secured a 3-H grant from Rotary Foundation of Rotary International for project on Breast Cancer Awareness in the five South-East states and Akwa-Ibom.  Mr. Uzuegbu, however,  expressed joy that in the past two years of massive campaign, the project committee had recorded several achievements on record time, prominent among them were the mounting of Mammogram machines for Breast Cancer screening at subsidised costs at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Teaching Hospital, Nnewi Anambra State and the ESUT Teaching Hospital, Parklane, Enugu, as well as the procurement of a brand new high Nissan Bus for advocacy campaigns.  The Rotary president noted that as the club remained committed to humanitarian services, government and wealthy Nigerians should support the work of Rotary international with their resources.