In Kırıkkale, nurse İlknur Uslu, who managed to overcome breast cancer thanks to early diagnosis and lost her mother to the same disease 16 years ago, invited all women to have regular cancer screenings, saying “Early diagnosis saves lives”.
İlknur Uslu, a nurse working at the 70th Year Cumhuriyet Family Health Center of Kırıkkale Provincial Health Directorate, learned that she had breast cancer during a free health screening at the Cancer Early Diagnosis, Screening and Education Center (KETEM). Uslu, 44, managed to overcome the disease after starting treatment thanks to early diagnosis. Uslu, a mother of two, lost her mother to breast cancer 16 years ago. İlknur Uslu, in a statement to İHA reporter, stated that she regained her health thanks to early diagnosis and called on all women to have cancer screening tests.
“The mass was removed by operation and preventive treatment was applied”
Uslu, who said that the mass was removed by surgery, said, “I applied to KETEM 3 years ago. I did not have any complaints or discomfort when I applied. As a result of the mammography taken here, a suspicious mass was detected and I was referred to an advanced center. After detailed examinations, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. However, thanks to early diagnosis, the mass was surgically removed and preventive treatment was applied. I regained my health with the treatment thanks to early diagnosis.”
“My mother was diagnosed at stage 4 and did not respond to treatment because it was too late”
Stating that 16 years ago she lost her mother to cancer, Uslu said that early diagnosis would save lives, “At that time, my mother was diagnosed at stage 4 and the treatment did not respond because it was too late. I wish KETEM units were as common as they were then. My mother could have been saved with early diagnosis.”
“3 different cancer screenings are performed at KETEMs”
Healthy Life Center responsible physician Dr. Dilek Ener noted that cancer ranks high among the causes of death and is an important public health problem. Dr. Ener emphasized that preventive health services and health centers play a major role in the fight against cancer. Stating that they provide services to the society against the risk factors that cause cancer with units such as smoking cessation, healthy nutrition, active life and obesity at the Healthy Life Center, Dr. Ener said, “Early diagnosis in cancer saves lives by increasing the possibility of treatment. There are 3 cancer screenings in KETEMs. These are breast cancer, cervical cancer and colon cancer. The tests used to screen for these cancers are easy to apply and free of charge.”
Reminding that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Dr. Ener invited all citizens to have cancer screening at KETEM units and said, “The nurse is actually a great example for our society. She applied to our unit without any symptoms or complaints and a suspicious situation was detected in the mammography film. She was then referred to a higher center. In the advanced examinations, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, her treatment was started very early and she regained her health.”
Explaining that such cases once again show how important early diagnosis is, Dr. Ener said, “This situation sets an example for us. We have many patients and clients like this. Thanks to early diagnosis, treatment is started at an early stage and the mass is removed from the body quickly. It becomes possible to defeat cancer disease.”
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