The Headmistress of the Abeadze State College in the Central Region has narrated how she has survived breast cancer twice in her lifetime.
At a youthful age, Madam Kinful-Mills had to remove huge lumps from her breasts.
She was speaking at a Meena Breast Cancer Foundation (MBCF) sensitization and screening programme for students and staff of the school.
Madam Kinful-Mills said she had a family history of breast cancer, with an aunty killed by the disease and another surviving it.
“Two of my aunties contracted the disease. One died because when she found out, it was already at the advanced stage. The other aunty fortunately survived and she is doing well,” she said.
The educationist said she got to know about her status when she was told that the lumps in her breast were cancerous but she was not enthused about going under the knife (lumpectomy).
This was after she had decided to feel her painful breasts. Luckily for her, diagnostics revealed that the cancer was in the early phase commonly known as the benign stages.
“I was fortunate that the disease had just developed and I found out early. One day I just decided to press my breast because of the pain I was feeling. I found out that there was a lump in my left breast. Initially, I did not want to go to the hospital. Later, I did and doctors removed the lump.
“After a year, I felt a lump in my right breast and doctors removed it again. Since then I have been free,” she recounted.
Madam Mills said at the age she removed the breast she did not understand why her friends said she was fortunate to have survived the disease until her aunty died of it.
The school head advised young ladies not to be reluctant about getting their breasts screened and seeking early treatment.
Believed it was a disease reserved for the elderly, breast cancer is now becoming prevalent among the youth and it is part of the reasons MBCF visits schools at all levels to educate them and screen their breasts under its early detection campaign.
So far it has visited 15 educational institutions including a University.
