Ifeoma Joy Okoye, Professor of Radiology, College of Medicine, University of Nigeria, Nsukka has stressed the need for patients who have been diagnosed with breast cancer or even metastatic breast cancer to have the right information and expectations.
“It is our duty to encourage them to have open conversations with their healthcare teams to understand how they can be supported but also how they can participate in their own care – taking an active role in their treatment can help them feel empowered in making the best decisions for themselves,” Okoye said.
She made this remark while addressing a virtual media roundtable to mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Metastatic Breast Cancer Day — 13th October.
According to the Globocan 2020 study, breast cancer is the commonest cancer in women in Nigeria and Ghana, accounting for 22.7% of new cancer cases in Nigeria and 18.7% of new ones in Ghana respectively in 2020. Moreover, it impacts over 247,000 people across Africa and the Middle East (AfME).
Early-stage breast cancer is when cancer cells have not spread beyond the breast or axillary lymph nodes. However, in AfME, 50-60% of breast cancer patients are in locally advanced or advanced stages at initial diagnosis. Metastatic breast cancer (MBC) is the most advanced stage of breast cancer, and it occurs when cancer spreads to other parts of the body, such as the lung, brain, liver, and bones.
The roundtable was attended by two reputable medical professionals from Nigeria and Ghana, and addressed local metastatic breast cancer incidence, how it is diagnosed, who is at risk, steps to take to fight breast cancer and set the right expectation, as well as latest treatment advances. The participants stressed that although great progress has been made in the treatment and care of breast cancer, there is still a lot more work to be done. They agreed that this is especially true within underserved and hard-to-reach communities in places that, too often, experience critical gaps in their care. Timely access, affordable treatment options and expansion of resources and programmes that address current disparities across age, race, gender, and location can remove barriers that stand in the way of the most vulnerable people with breast cancer.
Dr. Hannah Naa Gogwe Ayettey Anie, National Radiotherapy Oncology and Nuclear Medicine Centre, Ghana noted that most women diagnosed with breast cancer do not have any signs or symptoms of the disease. However, there are changes in the breast that some women do not notice.
“Therefore, it is hard to overestimate the importance of conducting self-examination and going for regular check-ups. While each case is unique, age, certain genetic mutations (like BRCA1 and BRCA2), getting periods before age 12 or starting menopause after age 55, having dense breasts, and family history are all known risk factors. With better awareness, prevention, treatment, and access to diagnostics, early detection could save between 2.4 and 3.7 million lives each year globally,” Anie said.
In response to such a high incidence of late-stage diagnosis of breast cancer across AfME, Pfizer is joining forces with Breast Without Spot and Breast Cancer International to disseminate educational content designed to encourage and empower individuals, patients, and families to get checked for breast cancer, better understand the disease and have the right expectations and act against it.
Dr. Kodjo Soroh, Medical Director, Sub-Saharan Africa, Pfizer, said the company remains committed to improving patients’ lives and supporting them at each step of their breast cancer experience. Soroh noted that across the African region, patients are diagnosed with late or advanced-stage cancer at a higher incidence rate than other regions globally.
“There is a distinct need for more awareness campaigns to regularly encourage patients to check themselves for breast cancer and better understand the disease. Moreover, over the past decade, improved diagnostics, and newer treatment options for late-stage breast cancer, including those with different gene abnormalities, offer new horizons and hope for these patients,” Soroh said.