A Radiologist, Dr Adekunle Adeyomoye,?? has?? called on the federal government to subsidise the cost of mammography?? for? the? populace?? inorder?? to reduce the cost of?? breast?? cancer detection,? as most?? women? cannot? afford?? the? fee?? of? N15,000?? being? charged?? even? in? public? hospitals.??
Adeyomoye, a senior lecturer, Faculty of Radiology, National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria, Lagos?? ,?? said that the gesture would make it affordable for women to detect breast cancer early, adding that it would also reduce the burden associated with the disease.
Mammography is the process of using low-energy-X-rays (usually around 30 kVp) to examine the human breast and is used as a diagnostic and? screening tool.
Adeyomoye said that breast cancer was number one killer cancer disease common among Nigerian women in?? their?? 30s?? to? 40s age bracket .
He said that due to high cost of screening, lots of women in the society could not afford to go for mammography.
“The recognised modality for screening breast cancer is mammography. And so, women should feel free to walk into any radiologist place and say ‘I want to have a mammography done and be? able? to afford to pay? the? fees’.
“Those are the ways to detect breast cancer early. Once one has found a lump, the person should visit the nearest hospital.
“The cost of doing a mammogram varies, from about N15,000 in a public institution and it is about N25,000 in a private institution’ he? disclosed.??
“A lot of our people cannot afford this. But unfortunately, mammogram is a piece of equipment that is technology driven; it is an expensive piece of equipment.
“Whosoever is investing in it not only has to invest to make money, but has to invest not only to charge fee but make sure he is able to maintain the equipment.
“So, if government intervenes in this by subsidizing the cost, most women can access it and that will reduce the burden of breast cancer among our women population.’’