Company screens more than 1,000 women for breast cancer

A medical technology company, Monitor Healthcare Ltd., screened more than 1,000 women for breast cancer from April to July.

The company’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr Femi Ogunremi, made the disclosure in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lagos.

Ogunremi said that the company carried out the screening in Kwara and some parts of Lagos State including Obalende, Mushin, Ejigbo, Lekki, Ajah and Ikoyi.

He told NAN that 44 of the 1,000 patients tested positive to breast cancer and were referred to hospitals for further assessment.

“In terms of the women that are positive, what we are doing as an organisation is to follow them up.

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“However, we have been having some challenges; some of them are reluctant to go for further assessment and put religion into it by saying it would never be their portion.

“Also, some of them cannot afford to pay for treatment; so, we have been able to formalise a partnership with hospitals.

“All patients we are sending to these hospitals will be treated at a reduced cost. It makes it easier for patients,” he said.

Ogunremi said that the goal of the screening was to reduce the mortality of breast cancer by 15 per cent in the next five years.

He said, however, that reducing the rate was not an immediate measurable impact.

“What we are noticing is that the five-year survival rate for breast cancer is very poor, only very few people will survive five years after they develop cancer when we look at it in Nigeria.

“The way we can achieve reduction is by increasing the level of awareness on the need to have screening done so that people can be picked earlier.

“When we screen people and pick them early, they can get treatment early and can survive,” he said.

He urged philanthropists, well-meaning Nigerians and organisations to partner with the company in order to support patients who could not afford to pay for treatment.

Ogunremi said: “We are in the process of opening up a foundation through which we want to support those who cannot afford treatment.

“We are calling on well-meaning Nigerians, organisations and philanthropists to help; we are keen on working with them to see if we can support patients,” he said.