By Florence Afriyie Mensah
Kumasi, March 24, GNA – Researchers at the College of Health Sciences of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), have commenced studies into efforts to advance cancer prevention, early detection and health equity in Africa.
The study, dubbed “Africa Breast Cancer Screening” (ABCS), which is being carried out in partnership with the College of Science, will look at the association between metabolic syndrome, the gut microbiome and breast cancer risk.
The study will also look at the individual parameters of metabolic syndrome, which will be performed by screening many women and find out if they have breast cancer, the stage and the type and screen them for the risk factor of metabolic syndrome, analysis and their interrelationships.
Chosen cross-sectional study sites in Ghana will be the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital Breast Center, Tamale Teaching Hospital Breast Center, Peace and Love Hospital in Kumasi, Western Regional Hospital, Effia Nkwanta, Cape Coast Teaching Hospital Oncology Department and the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.
Professor Reginald Annan, the Principal Investigator and a Professor of Public Health Nutrition at the KNUST, at the Study’s Inception meeting, said later studies will be conducted in other African countries for informed decisions on breast cancer.
The study, he indicated, would provide preventive strategies, early detection and personalized care for women with breast cancer.
Again, insights could help group other common cancers in women.
Prof. Annan said there was little or no study in Africa on cancer and nutrition and this was the first study to delve into the disease’s prevalence.
Breast cancer remained a major public health concern in sub-Saharan Africa with increasing incidence and a challenging burden on healthcare systems.
He said the incidence of especially, triple negative breast cancer, an aggressive subtype of breast cancer tends to be higher among women of African descent.
However, through early detection, awareness creation and access to screening services, a significant impact could be made on lives.
Prof. Rita Akosua Dickson, the Vice-Chancellor, KNUST, commended the World Cancer Research Fund for funding the study and the dedicated researchers from the KNUST for leading the transformative work.
She observed that the most unfortunate thing had been that sub-Saharan Africans lacked studies to examine risk factors and potential distractions of cancer subtypes.
The VC said the study was a significant milestone in researchers’ collective efforts to advance cancer prevention and improve health attention of the disease in Africa.
Prof. Dickson indicated that the findings from the research would not only enhance breast cancer screening efforts in Ghana but also set precedent for other African nations to follow.
She said the KNUST was deeply committed to becoming a leading research-intensive institution, driving innovation and scientific discovery that addressed pressing global and regional challenges.
GNA
KOM/CAA