Cancer: Mrs Wike Calls For Treatment Centre In PH

Wife of the Rivers State
Governor, Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike has called on the Federal Government to cite a cancer treatment centre in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital to further alleviate the cancer challenges of the people of the state and its environs.
Justice Wike made the call in Port Harcourt, Sunday, shortly after the commissioning of the Mammogram Centre built by the women’s league of Christ Church.
Justice Wike who noted that the three existing cancer treatment facilities were located in the South/West and North/West geopolitical regions of the country said the facility which if, located in Port Harcourt would cater for the needs of patients in and around the South/South region of the country.
While lauding the women’s league, Christ Church for their kind gesture towards alleviating the challenge of cancer in the state, Justice Wike said “with this intervention, women in Rivers State now have another facility where they can be screened for breast cancer. I call on the women to avail themselves of this opportunity to screen themselves of breast cancer”.
She noted that successful treatment depended on early detection and urged the women to submit themselves for early screening.
Justice Wike further urged the operators of the facility to exhibit professional and humane disposition in the discharge of their services to their fellow women and challenged other organisations to emulate the steps of the Christ Church Women’s league in the provision of palliative health facilities to the state and beyond.
Also speaking, a medical practitioner, Dr Awaji Nsan Nteute noted that breast cancer was the most common type of the cancers explaining the symptoms as lumps being firm, not going away and are generally pain free.
Nteute said “lumps which do not move around may be malignant or may not be. In another type, there is itching, redness and soreness of nipple and in yet athird type, the breast becomes extremely tender and appears infected with something.
The medical practitioner revealed that breast cancer was a leading cause of malignant death among women adding that women over 40 years of age were most likely to develop breast cancer than the younger women.
Nteute who stressed the need for early detection said “it is vital that early detection be made. As you conduct it, watch for subtle changes in the breast lumps which do not move around may be malignant or may be caused by normal fibrocystic changes during the menstrual cycle”.
He said that there are several types of breast cancer but with similar symptoms producing lumps stating however that a few are different in their symptoms.
“It is well to keep in mind that many people have undergone the orthodox cancer routine and survived while others have died. Early detection is the key for success. The decision is yours”, he said.