Walk with Us Cancer Foundation in Partnership with Imo State Ministry of Health, Keystone bank, Ever Right Diagnostic Lab and Step One Laboratory held a Three-day event (road walk and Scientific Conference) from 26th to 28th of October, 2021 to commemorate the 2021 world breast cancer day.
The road work had over 100 Men, women, Girls and Boys joined in the walk, also The Imo State Commissioner for Health and other relevant stakeholders in Imo State were in attendance and after the walk, there was a relay race which took place at Heroes Square, Owerri as exercise is part of the activities required to stay healthy and prevent cancer.
Day Two of the event was a scientific conference held at the Secretariat of Nigeria Medical Association, Imo State where the First Lady of Imo State, Her Excellency, Barr. Chioma Uzodinma was the special guest of honour and was represented by the Imo State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Vulnerable Groups; The Imo State Commissioner of health was also present at the scientific conference.
During the Scientific presentation, two presentations were made on cancer with Dr Okechukuw Duru the Founder of Walk with Us Cancer Foundation who made a presentation on “Prevention, Early Diagnosis & Surgical Management of Early Breast Cancer” while Dr Ike Chukwuocha made a presentation on “Early breast cancer: What you need to know about”
In their presentations, they pointed out that Cancer is a Chronic Non-Communicable Disease that occurs as a result of the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the Body ( CDC 2020) and the Early (stage) of Breast cancer is defined as a disease confined to the Breast with or without regional Lymph node involvement, and the absence of distant metastatic disease. (stages 1 & 2) [in situ, stage 1, IIA, IIB] Which is Potentially Curable. And In Nigeria, breast cancer represents about 23% of all cancer cases, and approximately 18% of cancer deaths are attributed to it in the country. (Globacam)
They added that studies found fewer deaths from breast cancer and improved survival among women who performed breast self-examination compared with those who did not. Although it is evident that clinical screening is not as sensitive as mammography, The combination of clinical examination and mammography appears to yield optimal results in early detection. Clients with positive screening results should seek medical treatment immediately said the facilitators.
The facilitators concluded by saying that Though Breast cancer can be challenging to manage, patients who present early can be treated with the aim of curing them and this early presentation can be possible if the individual, family, society and government decide to make healthcare a priority and he, therefore, encourage everybody to see his or her health as personal responsibility and make efforts to present early to the doctor once any abnormality is noticed and finally, he urged the Government to put priority on Health of her citizens and make the right budgetary expenditure for the Healthcare sector.
Also at the scientific presentation, breast cancer survivors also shared their testimonies and encouraged women to also perform breast Self-Examination and regular exercise as a way to prevent breast cancer and after this, an award was given to the participants who came first during the relay race and those who sponsored the event also received an award including the Commissioner for health and the event came to a close.
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