08 Nov 2022

Women between the ages of 21 and 49 would do well to go for cervical and breast cancer screening as that could save their lives. 

The two cancers remain the most common in Botswana. Speaking after a recent visit to the Oncology Centre at Princess Marina Hospital (PMH) by the minister of Health, Dr Edwin Dikoloti, the Head of Oncology, Dr Tlotlo Ralefala said many women succumbed to the cancers, not only in Botswana, but worldwide, yet it could be treated if found on time. 

Dr Ralefala therefore encouraged women to get screened even if they did not have any symptoms. She said that they had come across many cases where women who had never done any cervical screening, only to came to the hospital when experiencing some discomfort. 

Sadly, for many of the them it was often too late, as the cancer would already have spread, she said, regretting that the delay often led to preventable death. She therefore urged women to routinely test for cancer as chances of treating it were high if it was discovered early. 

“The earlier one gets screened, the sooner interventions can be administered,” she said. Dr Ralefala said the PMH oncology ward currently had 26 in-patients. 

She admitted however, that there was need to improve cancer detection and treatment. Batswana, she urged, should eat well and exercise to reduce the risk of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), which were another major concern. ends