Centre seeks to encourage regular breast cancer screening among women

To make access to breast screenings more affordable to avoid the over 70 percent of women who present themselves at late stage, Sebeccly Cancer Center has launched Breast Health Fridays to encourage regular screenings.

According to the centre, Breast Health Fridays aims to reverse the trend by encouraging women to be more breast aware, follow screening guidelines, and detect cancer early through discounted services.

Speaking at the launch of the initiative held at Pearl Oncology Specialist Hospital in Lagos with the theme, ‘Empowering Women: One or Two Breasts at a Time’, founder of Sebeccly Cancer Center, Dr. Omolola Salako emphasised the critical need for early detection in the fight against breast cancer, which is the most common cancer affecting women in Nigeria.

She said it is crucial for women to present with early-stage disease, noting that currently, many Nigerian women are diagnosed at stage three or four, making treatment difficult and expensive.

“Breast cancer affects many women in Nigeria, and 70 per cent of patients present at late stages. Breast Health Fridays aims to reverse that trend by making screenings more accessible and affordable. It is also about encouraging women to be more breast aware, follow screening guidelines, and detect cancer early through discounted services,” she explained.

Salako elaborated on the programme’s offerings, which include breast self-examinations starting at age 20, yearly clinical breast examinations, and mammograms beginning at age 40.

She said the initiative aims to provide affordable access to these essential services every Friday, supported by its partners ACT Foundation. Salako stressed the importance of creating a culture where women are not fearful but proactive about their breast health, noting that the initiative is poised to be a vital platform for women to take control of their health, support one another, and prioritise breast cancer prevention through regular screenings and self-examinations.

Team lead, branding and communications at ACT Foundation, Omoye Oriaghan, highlighted their ongoing commitment to supporting breast cancer initiatives.

“As a nonprofit focused on health and education, we provide funding for projects like Sebeccly’s. For the past six years, we have partnered to screen over 30,000 women for breast and cervical cancer for free. This year, we are raising awareness for 10,000 women and providing subsidised screenings for 1,000.”