BY HARRIET CHIKANDIWA A PRIVATE health facility in Harare, Parktown Hospital, will today offer free breast cancer screening services for both men and women as part of efforts to encourage citizens to undergo early checks for the world’s leading killer disease. This comes at a time breast cancer cases are on the increase, with one in eight women likely to be affected in their lifetime. Men are also at risk, but the chances are slim. The world over, breast cancer is commemorated during the month of October where stakeholders amplify and review their campaign strategies to counter the disease. However, many women still do not have access to correct information on the disease as well as screening and treatment. Senior general nurse at Parktown Hospital, Laurel Hamandishe, said women should take the awareness month as an opportunity for them to go for early and regular breast cancer screening. “Women should do regular breast cancer screening such as mammography. They should know the early signs of breast cancer. They must do daily breast cancer examinations to check for any lumps, nipple shapes and skin texture,” she said. Hamandishe demystified the myth that breast cancer is a death sentence, adding early diagnosis increases chances of survival. She urged women to live a healthy life style, exercise regularly and not to have too much radiation exposure. “To those battling with cancer I say do not lose hope because there are countless ongoing researches, medications and technologies that are being invented daily to tackle such cases. Who knows — maybe soon there will be a cure for cancer,” she said.