October Rose: Breast Cancer On The Spotlight

Free screening and sensitisation talks on the second leading cause of death amongst women took place recently in Yaounde.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual international health campaign organised by major breast cancer charities to increase awareness of the disease and also to raise funds for research, prevention, treatment and cure. While most people are aware of breast cancer, many forget to take the steps to have a plan to detect the disease in its early stages and encourage others to do the same. It is against this backdrop that the Cameroon-based NGO Association Solidarité Chimiothérapie (SOCHIMIO), on October 18, 2017 organised a free breast screening campaign at the Yaounde General Hospital and sensitisation talks at its headquarters to provide helpful guide about the disease. During the talks, the President of SOCHIMIO, Professor Paul Ndom, said October is a month for people to “think pink” with special attention on breast cancer. While noting that it is an occasion that brings together cancer patients and cancer survivors, Prof Ndom said everybody, whether male or female, is born with some breast cells and tissue that have the possibility to develop into cancer. Although most people who develop breast cancer will not be able to pinpoint one specific cause, the expert said it was good for people to learn about risk factors. The gathering permitted women t...