Professor Clegg Lamptey has said that unfortunately, many people have different misconceptions about breast cancer from how it is caused and treated, so they avoid visiting the hospital when they feel the unusual presence of lumps in their breast.

The head of the Korle-Bu Breast Cancer Multi-disciplinary Team, Professor Lamptey, said “a man sucking a woman’s breast does not cause breast cancer neither does it cure it,” dismissing one of the most popular misconceptions about how breast cancer comes about.

He explained that a woman’s risk of breast cancer is reduced when she is breast feeding.

“Not all lumps in the breast are cancerous,” Professor Lamptey told Daniel Dadzie, host of the Super Morning Show.

He said when someone comes to the hospital with a lump that is not cancerous after examination, the lump is still removed.

The medical doctor said that many people do not visit the hospital because they do not feel any pain from the lumps in their breast.

“The perception that if the lump is not painful then it is not a breast cancer is wrong. All sort of changes happens to the breast and it is advisable to come to the hospital and seek medical attention before any conclusion is drawn,” he stated.

He added that many people seek spiritual help from priests and prophets when they have breast cancer or lumps in their breast.

“It is not a spiritual disease but many people do not visit the hospital even when they realize that their way of dealing with the cancer or lump did not work out,” Professor Lamptey said.

He said that many people also fear the side effects they may endure after treatment. 

Professor Lamptey said “most of the side effects that comes with the surgery go away after a while but it is advisable to see the doctor with any unusual feeling.”

Addressing a concern of the treatment of the cancer on the ovaries, he said that chemotherapy can destroy the ovaries but most of the ovaries after sometime can be recovered.

He explained that if affected individuals are close to menopause the ovaries may never recover. Prof added that they are step being taken to protect the ovaries of affected women.

“Women who have not given birth before are counselled and along with some gynecologist are developing ways to protect the ovaries,” he said.

He said that unfortunately there are times that the breast cancer is not detected even after screenings, thus the hospital has developed three steps when examining the breast for cancer.

“Feeling the breast for lumps, taking x rays after lump is detected and if these methods show negative, some tests are done avoid the chances of missing cancer in the breast,” he said.

He stated that the Korle-Bu breast unit is having a symposium for the public on October 29, at Accra City Hotel to educate people on breast cancer as part of breast cancer awareness month.