The University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan says it will intensify preventive medicine and health promotion as alternatives to curative medicine in the treatment of breast cancer.
Chief Medical Director (CMD), Prof. Temitope Alonge, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan on the sideline of a scientific lecture series organised by the college to mark the 2018 World Cancer Day.
“We have purchased one thermograph and a mammogram machines for N28 million to execute the screening of breast cancer.
“We have decided to work on prevention, early detection and help those that have breast cancers to relieve their pains, save more lives and reduce financial burden of treating patients,” he said.
According to the CMD, rather than waste resources on treatment and preparing for patient’s end of life treatment in palliative medicine, it has become expedient to also channel efforts and resources at prevention.
“To this effect, we have decided to offer free breast screening to all the female members of staff of the hospital,” Prof Alonge said.
The CMD added that breast cancer had become the leading cause of death in females in Nigeria and in the African sub-region.
Alonge said that at the screening point, women would be asked to perform self-breast examination after which a nurse would examine the breasts again with thermograph and mammogram machines.
“And if any lump is detected, the patient is sent to ultrasound section where the positive reading of diagnosis will allow for surgical removal of the lump immediately.
“By this prevention and early detection strategies, the breasts will be saved and the prevalence of breast cancer will have reduced considerably,” he said.
