The Minister for Defence, Mr Dominic Nitiwul, has identified stigmatization as one of the major challenges that make the fight against breast cancer a difficult one.

According to the Minister, the disease can be detected at its early stages through regular screening but most people do not avail themselves for screening because of the stigma associated with it.

To that end, he underscored the need to address the stigmatization of breast cancer disease, adding that that can only be done through public education.

"It is only when people are well informed that they will know the necessary steps to take," he emphasized.

Mr Nitiwul said this in Accra on Thursday, during a breast cancer awareness programme that was organized for the military.

The Deputy Director for Ghana Health Service, Dr Anthony Adofo Ofosu, said "there is an erroneous impression that surgical treatment of the disease often results in death."

That, he said, "leads to open denial, guilt, stigma, spiritual and supernatural explanations," which in turn leads to delays in seeking medical attention.

Dr Ofosu reiterated that breast cancer occurs in every country of the world in women at any age after puberty. He advised women to check regularly and not wait till 'Pink October', cancer the awareness month.

A medical doctor with the Surgical Department of the 37 Military Hospital, Dr Boniface Adigah, also encouraged the public to do regular screening, stating that the hospital has decided to run breast cancer screening every day, except weekends.