The Gombe State chapter of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) has organised the training of 60 women from the media and other groups in self examination of the breast with the aim of detecting the early sign of cancer to forestall the adverse effect of the decrease.
Dr Yusuf Abdullahi, a Histopathology Consultant at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe (FTHG), who anchored the training session in Gombe Tuesday, said the most effective weapon in the prevention of breast cancer is self examination.
Abdullahi said clinical examination and Mammography are also effective too, but not as a do-it-yourself exercise.The resource person, who said cancer is preventable, called on all the women to equip themselves with the knowledge of the early signs because “once it manifests there is no cure”.
“Once you discover abnormality in your breast, rush to the hospital, most of the cancer cases are painless. It is advisable to begin clinical examination at the age of 20 but if you have history of cancer in the family, you can start at age 16,” he explained.