By Samira Larbie
Accra, Oct. 24, GNA – St. George’s University (SGU), a Grenada, West Indies-based medical institution, has called for a risk-informed approach to breast cancer screening to improve early detection and treatment outcomes in Africa.
The university said screening strategies should consider individual risk factors and be supported by improved access to diagnostic and specialist healthcare services.
The call was made in a statement issued by SGU and copied to the Ghana News Agency.
The statement said breast cancer remained the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women in Africa and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women on the continent.
It cited estimates from the International Agency for Research on Cancer’s GLOBOCAN 2024 report, published in 2026, which showed that Africa recorded about 225,643 new breast cancer cases and 100,070 deaths in 2024.
Dr Tonia Frame, Assistant Professor and Director of the Global Health Unit in the Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine at SGU, said breast cancer risk varied among women and should not be determined by age alone.
“Breast cancer risk does not suddenly begin at a particular birthday, and two women of the same age may have very different risk profiles,” she said.
Dr Frame said family history, inherited genetic susceptibility, previous breast abnormalities and other recognised risk factors should guide decisions on screening, specialist referral and additional imaging.
She urged women to become familiar with the normal appearance and feel of their breasts and seek prompt medical attention for unexplained changes.
SGU cited a 2025 study across five sub-Saharan African countries which found that 21.9 per cent of women diagnosed with breast cancer were under 40 years.
The university said the findings reinforced the need for breast awareness, timely clinical examination and personalised risk assessment.
It said women with risk factors such as a family history of breast or ovarian cancer, inherited BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene variants, dense breast tissue and previous high-risk breast lesions could require earlier or more specialised screening.
SGU also highlighted disparities in access to breast assessment, diagnostic imaging and specialist care across sub-Saharan Africa.
It cited a 2026 systematic review and meta-analysis which found that only 13 per cent of women had undergone a clinical breast examination, with uptake influenced by education, income, health insurance coverage and access to healthcare services.
The university said the World Health Organisation Regional Office for Africa had identified limited diagnostic infrastructure and shortages of specialised health personnel as key factors contributing to late diagnosis and poor outcomes.
SGU called for stronger referral systems, enhanced training for frontline health workers, expanded imaging and pathology services and timely follow-up of abnormal findings.
It said artificial intelligence could support breast cancer detection in areas with limited imaging capacity and specialist availability.
Dr Frame, however, said the technology should complement rather than replace clinical assessment and diagnostic confirmation.
“The most important feature is not the algorithm alone, but the complete pathway linking awareness, initial assessment, referral, diagnostic confirmation and treatment,” she said.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Sackey
Reporter: Samira Larbie