Screening for Cancer of Breast and Cervix

Cancer occurs in men, women and children. Statistics show that cancer
of the female breast is the commonest of all forms of cancer. In Nigerian
women, cancer of the cervix stands second to the breast. Breast and
cervical cancer are common world-wide but the incidence of death from
these cancers is higher in Nigeria and other developing countries than in
USA and UK. Screening has been used in the latter countries to drastically
reduce the death rate from breast and cervical cancer. Screening detects the early stage of cancer, the pre-invasive stage, the symptom-frte stage, the carcinoma-in-situ, the curable stage of cancer. The reason why cancer is dreadful is because treatment is usually started when it is too late. This booklet outlines some basic facts and illustrates the screening procedures for breast and cervical cancer. It is designed for all. For the non-readqs there are numerous illustrations which are selfexplanatory. For the readers the facts are simplified and made easy to understand. For the medical persons, the booklet is a simple reminder of basic facts and procedures.