The Imo State Government has expressed its readiness to establish a radiotherapy centre for people suffering from breast cancer.
The State Commissioner for Information, Dr Barthy Okorochukwu, made this known at this year’s World Breast Cancer Month Celebration in Owerri on Friday.
Okorochukwu said the state government was aware of the huge financial implication of setting up such a centre, but was determined to establish it.
He said that the state government would also sustain its partnership with the Oncology Unit at the Imo State University Teaching Hospital, to ensure the detection and treatment of breast cancer.
“The state government is particular about increasing awareness to prevent the occurrences.
“In the Ministries of Health and Women Affairs, we have set up a departments for the dissemination of awareness, especially among the female populace to prevent the occurrence of breast cancer,” he said.
The commissioner urged women to take advantage of the subsidised mammography screening and ultrasound scan by the ministry’s various health partners for early detection of breast cancer.
“If there is any detection, treatment can be started as early as possible,” he said.
Earlier, Wife of the State Governor, Mrs Chioma Uzodimma, represented by Mrs Nkechi Ugwu, an associate, advised that women should not regard breast cancer diagnosis as a death sentence.
“Lump on the breast should not be overlooked,” Uzodimma said, while stressing the need to educate more women on regular Breast Self-Examination (BSE), screening and early treatment of breast cancer.
In a lecture titled: “Prevention, Early Diagnosis and Surgical Management of Breast Cancer”, Dr Okechukwu Duru described breast cancer as ‘the commonest ailment among women worldwide.
Duru, a General Surgeon and member of Walk With Us Cancer Foundation (WAWUC), said emphasis should be placed on how women could do what to do to avoid breast cancer.
He, therefore, called for good health-seeking behaviours, regular breast self-examination, annual clinical breast examination and mammography test for women above 40 years.
According to Duru, there is only one radiotherapy centre at University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, serving the whole of South-East and South-South geo-political zones.
“This is grossly poor. Ordinarily, Imo should have five centres; we call on every stakeholder, especially the Federal and State Governments to consider setting up more radiotherapy centres in the zones.
“That we have relative poor result from treating breast cancer is because we don’t have necessary facilities.
“When government priotises health for people to be healthy, the government can then tax them to recoup for more service to the people,” he said.
In another lecture, Dr Damian Okorocha, a General Surgeon, Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, who spoke on “The Non-Surgical Treatment of Early Breast Cancer”, also stressed the importance of radiotherapy centres.
“Besides the use of chemicals, drugs and hormonal therapy, to treat breast cancer, it is important for the state government to establish a radiotherapy centre and subsidise the cost so that it would be affordable for patients.
“More often, we send patients who need such services to Ibadan, Lagos and National Hospital Abuja. It is really stressful to them,” Okorocha said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the 2021 celebration is “Awareness Is Power”.
NAN reports that the programme was organised by the state government in collaboration with Walk With Us Cancer Foundation with partnerships with Everight Diagnostics and Step 1 Laboratories, among others.
