According to the ACO, breast cancer is the most frequent cancer among women, with more than two million women, being diagnosed annually and some 627,000 deaths, which represented about 15 per cent of all cancer deaths among women.

It said it was important to generate greater awareness and raise support to promote breast cancer prevention because the disease had been increasing in many developing countries for the past decade.

It explained that breast cancer referred to cancers that could develop in any part of the breast tissue; an abnormal growth of breast cells, which may start as a tiny lump in the breast. Each breast, the ACO said, was made up of 15 to 20 lobes, situated on the chest muscles that covered the ribs.

“The lobes contain smaller lobules, which contain groups of tiny glands that can produce milk and milk flows from the lobules through thin tubes, named ducts, to the nipples,” it said. “The nipple is in the centre of a dark area of skin called the areola with fat, which fills the spaces between the lobules and ducts”.

 The breasts also contain lymph vessels and these vessels lead to small, round organs called lymph nodes and they are located near the breast in the axilla (armpit), above the collarbone, in the chest behind the breastbone and in many other parts of the body.

The lymph nodes, it explained trapped bacteria, cancer cells, or other harmful substances.

Breast cancer could spread to almost any other part of the body and the most common parts are the lymph nodes in the axilla, bones, liver, lungs, and the brain.  According to the ACO, the high incidence of the disease was leading to many premature deaths with related socioeconomic suffering in developing countries.

The ACO said, unfortunately, breast cancer was likely to continue to increase with increased Westernisation.  The ACO stated that, the majority of breast cancer patients in Ghana, reported late to health facilities so most of the treatment offered became ineffective.

“By making changes to the food we eat, the level of exercise we undertake and maintaining a normal body weight, along with early detection, screening and other lifestyle changes, majority of breast cancers can be prevented,” it advised.