Congo/Octobre rose: Ufemco raises awareness of breast cancer among mediawomen

On October 16, the Union des femmes des médias du Congo (Ufemco ) held an awareness-raising workshop on the theme of "Women in the media: voices and players in the fight against breast cancer", at the Manguiers bookshop within Les Dépêches de Brazzaville. The workshop focused on the causes, consequences and means of preventing and combating these diseases.

Hosted by Prof. Alexis Fortuné Bolenga Liboko, medical oncologist at the CHUB and lecturer at the Université Marien-Ngouabi, the meeting aimed to inform women from the media in particular, and from all walks of life in general, about the two most deadly cancer pathologies among women in the Congo, namely breast and cervical cancer.dias in particular, and women from all walks of life in general, about the two most deadly cancer pathologies affecting women in the Congo, namely breast cancer and cervical cancer.

The aim was to provide information on the causes and manifestations of breast and cervical cancer, the importance of screening, treatment methods and risk factors.

Pink October is a time when everyone tries to take initiatives to raise awareness of the seriousness of breast cancer, the world's leading cancer in women. In his presentation, Pr Alexis Bolenga focused on the importance of screening for this disease. According to him, breast cancer occurs in one in eight women, i.e. almost a quarter of the world's female population. In 2022, 2,296,840 cases were discovered, including 530 in the Congo, and 241 deaths.

He thus revealed the need for regular screening, as this would prevent more deaths, pointing out that 50% of deaths from breast cancer are linked to late diagnosis. "When we make our diagnoses very early, we can have chances of recovery without there being a recurrence of the disease. Because when breast cancer is diagnosed at a small size of 2 cm or less, there's a 100% chance of cure. So, it's better to detect the disease very early because, I won't hide it from you, it's a disease that has no obvious symptoms", he says.

To raise awareness of the dangers of this disease, Pr Bolenga projected images of different stages of breast cancer in women. These shocking images helped to raise awareness of the need to monitor the condition of this organ and not to keep the disease for too long, under the pretext of waiting for a divine miracle. He also instructed women in the techniques of self palpation of the breasts, to be carried out at the beginning of each month on a specific date, or three or four days after each menstrual cycle, in order to detect any abnormality.

If there's the slightest change," he says, "don't be alarmed, but seek medical advice, because only a medical diagnosis can reveal whether or not it's cancer or just an infection. According to her, although victims with a family history of breast cancer can develop the disease at an early age, all women between the ages of 25 and 74 are at risk and can fall victim to it.

Today, the high cost of treatment reduces patients' chances of recovery. In the same vein, he called on the Congolese government to pay more attention to this disease through the National Strategic Plan for the Fight against Cancer 2022-2026, which is unable to be deployed effectively due to a lack of financial resources.

Cervical cancer

Concerning cervical cancer, Prof. Alexis Bolenga noted that it is the fourth most common cancer in women worldwide, and the second most common in the Congo. It is almost 100% attributable to a chronic infection, lasting 5 to 10 years, by viruses belonging to the papillomavirus family. The signs of the disease are diverse, and sometimes difficult to detect by the victims themselves. Nevertheless, repeated infections that weaken the mucous membrane of the cervix, frequent vaginal discharge, white discharge and foul-smelling odors, permanent and late bleeding at menopausal age should alert women to the need for medical consultation, or even screening for precancerous lesions of the cervix.

Indeed, he believes that cervical cancer is one of the most 100% curable cancers in women, if discovered early. To prevent it, you need to pay close attention to your personal hygiene and avoid introducing certain substances into your intimate apparatus.For children aged 9 and over and women who have not yet contracted the virus, it is possible to be vaccinated against this cancer. Pr Bolenga pointed out that preconceived ideas such as IUDs, implants, wearing black underwear or too close to the body... do not cause cervical cancer." As women in the media, our fourth power serves us to inform and educate. So, through our pens, microphones and cameras, we have a duty to support those facing these diseases. And this meeting was an opportunity for the participants to find out more and remove doubt about these various devastating diseases, so as to protect themselves and those around them ", declared Durly Emilia Kidissa, President of Ufemco.

Source: www.adiac-congo.com