Dr David Sunu, chief executive of Ridge Medical Center (RMC), says delays in seeking breast cancer screening and treatment are a major reason for the high number of deaths from the disease in Ghana.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer affecting women in Ghana and is also the country’s leading cause of cancer deaths among women, he said.
“Some studies reveal that about 50 to 80 per cent of those with breast cancer report to the hospital late, in the late stage,” Dr Sunu said. “This makes it difficult for medical intervention to prevent death.”
He was speaking in Accra on Monday, October 5, when RMC launched its Pink October campaign. Breast Cancer Awareness Month has been observed in October since the eighties, with the pink ribbon used internationally to promote prevention and routine screening.
Dr Sunu said early diagnosis could allow doctors to cure the disease or prolong the lives of more women. He blamed delays partly on a lack of education and reliance on herbal medicine or religious intervention.
“There is a lack of education, preference to use herbal medication, there is the preference for religion, which causes delays,” he said.
He warned that there was not enough scientific evidence to establish the effectiveness of herbal medicines in treating cancer. Relying on unproven methods, he said, could allow the disease to spread to other organs before a patient reaches hospital, limiting the available treatment options.
He called on the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service to establish stronger screening and early-detection programmes, particularly outside major urban areas.
“If you diagnose the condition early, you can take out that lump; you can take out the cancerous tissue before it begins to spread,” Dr Sunu said. He added that awareness campaigns should continue beyond October and become part of the everyday work of health facilities.
Women aged above 40, he said, should have easier access to mammograms, which use X-rays to check for suspected cancerous tissue in the breasts. He also urged women to have a clinical breast examination at least once a year.
Men can also develop breast cancer, although 99% of cases occur in women, he said. Dr Sunu rejected claims that men sucking breasts reduces the risk, saying there was no robust data to support that belief. Breastfeeding, however, is known to lower the likelihood of breast cancer.
Risk factors
RMC Resident Medical Officer Dr Kwame Owusu Achew identified early menstruation, late menopause, use of emergency contraceptives such as Postino, smoking, alcohol consumption and exposure to radiation as possible risk factors.
A family history of breast cancer, or previous breast problems, may also increase the risk. However, he stressed that people without any of those factors can still develop the disease, making screening important.
For those afraid of screening, Dr Achew said many patients diagnosed at the final stage later wished they had discovered the disease earlier. He added that psychotherapy is part of some patients’ care to help them manage anxiety after diagnosis.
