Breast cancer is now the second most common cancer among women in Zimbabwe, with 1 807 new cases recorded out of 11 220 cancers in women in 2022, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said.
The disease, which makes up 16,1 percent of all cancers in women, continues to claim lives because many people are diagnosed late.
Bibi Aseefa Bhutto Zardari has urged women to go for early checks and to spread awareness during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
She said October is a time when the world paints itself pink to remind communities about the dangers of the disease and the need to save lives through knowledge.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said early testing saves lives. “Catching cancer early means it can be treated more easily and people have a better chance of survival. That is why we want to make sure that women everywhere know the signs and get checked when needed,” he said.
WHO has set a target that by 2025, 90 percent of eligible people should be offered breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screening.
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Globally, breast cancer led to 2.3 million new cases and 670 000 deaths in 2022. WHO said half of all cases happen in women with no clear risk factors other than age and sex.
In rich countries, one in 12 women will get breast cancer in their lifetime, while in poorer countries one in 27 will be diagnosed, but more women there die from the disease because of limited access to treatment.
Zimbabwean breast cancer survivor Dr Thokozani Khupe said accurate diagnosis and awareness are important.
“Once cancer is detected early, it is easier and cheaper to treat. But if it’s detected at an advanced stage, it becomes very difficult, complicated, and expensive to treat, like the one I have right now,” she said. She called on Government to work with other organisations to run awareness campaigns in all 35 000 villages and towns.
Dr Khupe said she had received support from Government in her treatment and is now dedicated to helping others. “It must not be a big deal for one to have stage 4 cancer because with modernisation, it can be treated and I am a living testimony .Fortunately, we must thank God for healing me and giving me a second chance at life,” she said.
WHO added that combining early detection, treatment and care is the best way to reduce deaths from breast cancer worldwide.
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