The Ghana Police Service (GPS) has commissioned a mammogram machine for the Police Hospital as part of efforts to improve breast cancer treatment.

The equipment is aimed at helping the Hospital in the early detection and treatment of breast cancer in women who are largely police personnel.

Head of Radiology Department at the Hospital, Superintendent Dr Francis Ofei has expressed their appreciation to the Police administration for the gesture.

He said the installation and inauguration of the “monumental edifice” will go a long way to position the Hospital to meet the treatment needs of the Hospital's clients.

Head of Radiology Department at the Hospital, Superintendent Dr Francis Ofei

A study by the World Cancer Research Fund International in 2012 puts the number of breast cancer cases worldwide at about 1.7 million per year.

The report said breast cancer is “hormone related” that is increased by alcoholic drinks and body fatness.

The cases of breast cancer continue to rise in Ghana. The World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2012 said a total of 2,000 Ghanaian women were diagnosed with breast cancer.

The WHO report indicated about 1,000 of the number, representing 50 percent of the cases, died of the disease.

The worrying trend of the statistics is that more than half of the new cases are diagnosed late, making treatment and breast conservation difficult.

But Dr Ofei said the new machine will help the hospital to provide timely response to breast cancer patients who come to the Hospital.

He said they will adopt a new approach in early detection and treatment of the disease in their line of work.

The early detection and treatment starts with;

(a) creating the AWARENESS and

(b) Having the requisite INVESTIGATIVE MODALITIES to pick up the disease....and that is when Mammography comes in handy.