Over 4,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer daily – Breast Society of Ghana

The Breast Society of Ghana has disclosed that over 4,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer every day and 50% of them do not survive.

Breast cancer remains one of the most pressing health challenges and the most common cancer globally with nearly 2.3 million women diagnosed in 2020 alone.

In Ghana, breast cancer accounts for about 30% of all cancer cases in women, making it the leading cause of cancer-related deaths which leaves a sobering reality that underscores the urgency of the fight against the disease.

Ahead of the breast cancer awareness month, survivors of breast cancer share their journeys and the challenges they face highlighting stigma, financial and physical burden. For some, accessing healthcare facilities in certain parts of Ghana is a significant obstacle in their fight against the disease.

“We go through a lot of stigma. This stigma comes from the community, family and friends. I have met women who have refused to go to the hospital for treatment because of stigma. Because they don’t want anybody to know that they are going through or have been diagnosed with breast cancer, so they resort to religious centers and herbal treatment.

“Women will travel from Bawku, Nyankpanduri, Bunkurugu, Salaga, to access some of these things and it becomes difficult. Some of them their husbands have to sell maize just for them to do lorry fare to Tamale and imagine after that, they have to travel to Kumasi to have a mammogram done,” Mrs Atika Abudu, a breast cancer survivor and a midwife at Nyankpala expressed.

Present at the Annual General Meeting of the Breast Society of Ghana were other breast cancer survivors who also shared their journeys, revealing the challenges they faced along the way.

“As part of my treatment plans, I’ve had surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormonal therapy which is a daily pill I’m to take for 5 years, I’m done with that, but I’m told I have to do another 5 years. Before somebody will be diagnosed, there are series of test the person is supposed to go through. By the time you have your cancer diagnosis even before treatment you will have spent 4,000 or 5,000 cedis and you haven’t even started treatment yet.

“We are crying for help for making care accessible in terms of proximity and accessibility. I am a patient navigator as well so I call to follow up on patients and I am told the person is dead. In a month we lose about 10 people just within our close circle and they are between 30 to 40 years old which is very scary.” Mrs Georgina Kumah-Dzagah, a breast cancer survivor and an executive secretary of Breast Society of Ghana also narrated.

The president of the Breast Society of Ghana emphasized the critical need for policy changes to ensure equitable distribution of resources nationwide in the battle against breast cancer.

“Over the past number of years, the focus has been what are the signs and symptoms of breast cancer, what can you do when you need treatment. We realized that we need to shift focus from there and look at what can actually inform policy change, how can we achieve equitable services and resources for breast cancer management across the country. The ultimate is that we will be able to have free breast cancer care for patients across the country.” Dr. Hannah Ayettey Anie, President of BSoG explained.

The Member of Parliament for Daffiama/Bussie/Issa Constituency, Sebastian Sandaare serving on the health committee stated that addressing the lack of essential logistics in the northern part of Ghana will be treated as a matter of urgency.

“We think that there’s a need for us to do more as a health committee in Parliament. There’s a need for the government to take this call with all the urgency that it deserves. There must be a mammogram and a radiotherapy service at the Tamale Teaching Hospital just to ensure that these clients from various remote areas will have a point of call and a well-equipped medical Centre,” he said.

Dr. Florence Dedey, a consultant surgeon highlighted prevalent myths surrounding breast cancer and the importance for early detection and treatment.

“People believe that if your breast is cut off within a very short while, you’re going to die that is also not true. We have had a lot of survivors who have had at times, not just one but both breasts cut off but have survived for decades after that. People believe that chemotherapy, radiotherapy will poison your system and it will kill you, these are all not true.

“People believe in Ghana and other places that breast cancer is a spiritual disease. They believe that it is a curse and a punishment for sin and when they have these believes, you can imagine that if they even get diagnosed, they will resort to prayer camps and a spiritualist to seek a cure. We know that breast cancer is a disease that can happen to everybody,” she said.

Dr Akwasi Anyanful, a molecular biologist at UCC noted that, “Breast cancer is the most serious cancer in Ghana, it is the one that kills most of our women. 4,000 patients are diagnosed in Ghana every day, and out of that, 50% of will die which is very scary and these are the hospital cases. We don’t know the ones that do not report at the hospital, and it is because they report late.

“In Ghana, we don’t see stage 1 and 2 but we mostly see stage 3 and 4 and in stage 3, the lump has become like an African star apple. The lump size of stage 2 is like that of a peanut and that is even 60% advanced so you can imagine if you delay. People think breast cancer screening is for those who have breast cancer, but that is not true. Breast cancer screening is for the ordinary woman,” he stated.

As these brave breast cancer survivors shared their inspiring stories, it became evident that breast cancer is not a death sentence and with a united support from all, the fight against this disease will be a journey of hope and resilience.

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