MONROVIA, Montserrado – Authorities of the SDA Cooper Hospital and the Liberia Cancer Society are partnering to kick off a screening program for breast cancer in Monrovia.

The program is expected to be launched on Sunday with a focus to offer free breast examination and consultation services to men and women of ages between 15 and 90 years.

The society disclosed that three major goals of the campaign are to raise awareness about breast cancer, educate women to get annual breast examination, and to train more healthcare professionals to screen for the disease.

“Training will be provided at each screening day for licensed midwives, nurses, nurse aids, and even physicians who want to gain more skills,” the group said in a release.

“Men can also get breast cancer, as they have a very small [amount] of the same tissue in their chests.”

According to Dr. Gillian Seton, the general surgeon at the SDA Cooper Hospital, who is also the founder of the screening program, their mission is to help communities by raising awareness of the disease, the need for continuous testing and education for available treatment options.

“This is something we can treat, but it’s very important to get treatment as early as possible,” Seton disclosed at a press conference on Wednesday.

“If the knot is cancer, then sometimes chemotherapy is needed,” she added.

She said the program would be expanded to several communities following the official launch at the SDA Cooper Hospital over the weekend.

She said breast cancer is a serious disease that can be cured the earlier it is diagnosed and treated.

Meanwhile, organizers are calling on professionals in the medical profession to volunteer their services, especially during its expanded phase in communities.

Dr. Dawn Cooper, president of the Liberian Cancer Society, said professionals at all levels in the medical field would be needed.

“We need doctors who can help us with the screening and training, as well as others who can help set up and educate those coming for screening, among others,” Cooper said.

She said healthcare workers who would be trained during the program will be used to continue screening for breast cancer in their communities.

Featured photo by Flickr’s williami5