By Maxwell Awumah, GNA
Ho, Oct 22, GNA – A 2026 systematic review and meta-analysis found that only 13 per cent of women had ever undergone a clinical breast examination, with uptake varying according to education, household wealth, health insurance coverage and contact with healthcare services. Â
The region also faces significant gaps in diagnostic capacity, according to researchers from St. George’s University, Grenada, West Indies, in a release shared with Ghana News Agency.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO)HO Regional Office for Africa, limited diagnostic infrastructure and shortages of specialized healthcare personnel contribute to late diagnosis and poor outcomes.
These challenges reinforce the need to expand access to breast assessment, diagnostic imaging, pathology services and trained specialists, particularly in underserved communities.
Addressing these inequalities requires more than awareness campaigns with priorities to include strengthening clinical breast examination and referral pathways, training frontline health workers, expanding access to diagnostic imaging and pathology, ensuring timely follow-up after abnormal findings, and monitoring outcomes across socioeconomic and geographic groups.
Where artificial intelligence could support early detection
It said Artificial intelligence (AI) is being evaluated as a potential support for breast cancer detection in settings, where imaging capacity and specialist availability are limited.
Depending on the technology and clinical context, AI may assist with triage, image interpretation, workflow prioritisation or risk estimation. Its clinical value depends on appropriate validation, reliable referral pathways, diagnostic confirmation, quality assurance and ongoing monitoring for unequal performance across population groups.
“Integrating community health workers, portable AI technology and digital referral pathways within primary health care could potentially help reach women who face geographic, financial or health-system barriers,” said Dr. Tonia Frame, Assistant Professor and Director of the Global Health Unit in the Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine at St. George’s University, Grenada, West Indies.
She added: “The most important feature is not the algorithm alone, but the complete pathway linking awareness, initial assessment, referral, diagnostic confirmation and treatment. AI output is not a diagnosis. It must be interpreted alongside the patient’s clinical history, risk factors, examination findings and appropriate diagnostic imaging.”
Translating personal risk into informed screening decisions
For women, the release said a more personalized approach does not mean performing more tests in every case. It means identifying those, who may benefit from earlier, more frequent or different forms of assessment while avoiding unnecessary imaging and procedures among women unlikely to benefit.
As part of a shared decision-making conversation, women may wish to ask their physician: Based on my age and personal risk factors, when should breast cancer screening begin? Does my family history suggest that I need a formal risk assessment? Would referrals for genetic counselling be appropriate for me? If I have dense breasts, how does that affect the interpretation of my mammogram and my overall risk? Do previous breast symptoms, imaging findings or biopsy results change my follow-up plan? Which screening or diagnostic services are available locally, and what follow-up will be provided if an abnormality is found? Would a formal breast cancer risk assessment help guide my screening plan?
The Breast Cancer Awareness Month is an opportunity to advocate for equitable care pathways, from risk assessment and early detection to diagnosis and timely treatment.
Across Africa, a key challenge is ensuring every woman with a concerning symptom or abnormal finding receives appropriate assessment, diagnostic confirmation, and treatment without avoidable delays.
Preparing future physicians for evolving healthcare needs is central to medical and public health education at St. George’s University School of Medicine. Through a diverse, international learning environment and clinical exposure, students develop the medical knowledge, clinical skills, and professional competencies needed to care for diverse patient populations.
GNA
Edited by Benjamin Mensah
Reported by Maxwell Awumah
Email address: [email protected]