While cancer screening does not prevent one from getting breast cancer, detecting it early makes it easier to treat successfully
Late diagnosis is fuelling preventable deaths associated with cancers including breast cancer, medical experts have warned. routine check-ups even when Women are encouraged to do they do not feel unwell to help doctors diagnose diseases early and start treatment to prevent their condition from worsening.
According to Marc Hagenimana, the director of the Cancer Unit at Rwanda Biomedical Centre, while cancer screening does not prevent one from getting breast cancer, detecting it early makes it easier to treat successfully.
“We advise women of 35 years and above to routinely get breast cancer checkups at their nearest health centres at a cost of Rwf200 as the rest is covered by insurance whereas screening/mammography costs Rwf12,000-Rwf30,000 at most private hospitals, which is costly for low income earners,” said Dr Hagenimana.
Cervical, breast and colorectal cancers can be treated successfully if detected early especially for those aged between 35-50.
So far, the country has five mammography machines at King Faisal hospital, Legacy Clinic, Butaro Hospital, Kanombe Military Hospital and the University Teaching Hospital of Kigali (CHUK).
Some Rwandans are reluctant to go for screening partly because many assume the cost of check-ups is expensive.
A recent study of cancer care and control by RBC found that 52 percent of breast cancer cases in Rwanda are detected at stage three while 24 percent are at stage five.
This is largely attributed to lack of systematic testing as well as late diagnosis.
Last year, Rwanda opened a modern cancer centre equipped with radiotherapy at Kanombe Military Hospital. Globally, cancer is among the leading causes of death, claiming over 70 percent of its victims in low- and middle-income countries, where prevention and treatment remain limited, according to the World Health Organisation.
In 2018, estimates from the International Agency for Research on Cancer indicate the incidence in Rwanda to be 10,704 new cancer diagnoses, 4,520 cases among men and 6,184 cases among women, while annual mortality rates stood at 7,662.
In addition, 50- 60 percent of all cancer patients require radiotherapy in the course of their treatment.