Worship’s Aid writes:Breast cancer awareness amidst Covid-19

The emergence of the coronavirus has disrupted other facets of healthcare awareness and delivery.
Statistics confirmed by the world health organization shows that about 2.3 million women were
diagnosed with breast cancer and about 685,000 deaths were recorded globally in the year 2020. Whilst
the month of October is dedicated to breast cancer awareness, the Worships Aid Foundation’s in
partnership with various institutions and organizations will champion breast health awareness, breast
cancer awareness and breast cancer screening.

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among women worldwide and by extension,
understanding the roadmap to breast health and early detection are key to mitigating the adverse
consequences and malignancy. Age, family history, inherited genes or gender cannot be changed but
what is important as far as breast cancer is concerned is the variable associated with the chance of
increased breast cancer. Some of these variables are;

1. Being physically active. Physical activity is shown to have an inverse relationship to breast cancer
risk. Several biological mechanisms have supported the protective effect of physical activity on
breast cancer which includes effects on the immune, endogenous sex steroid hormone production,
and antioxidant system. It is recommended that most healthy adults should aim for at least 150
minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity weekly, plus
strength training at least twice a week.
2. Limiting alcohol. Drinking excessive alcohol increases the risk of developing breast cancer. The
general recommendation, based on research on the effect of alcohol on breast cancer risk, is to limit
oneself to no more than one drink a day, as even small amounts increase risk.
3. Maintaining a healthy weight. Maintaining a healthy weight is essential.
4. Breastfeeding. Breast-feeding might play a role in breast cancer prevention. The longer you
breastfeed, the greater the protective effect.
5. Limiting postmenopausal hormone therapy. A combination of hormone therapy may increase the
risk of breast cancer.

Breast cancer awareness was created to inform, educate and persuade individuals about the cause and
the visible symptoms of the disease. In October, breast cancer awareness is intensified to reduce
stigmatization and get as many people as possible in raising funds to support life-saving research and
life-changing support, a clear example is funds raised to buy a mammogram, the machine used in
checking breast cancer. Amid a pandemic, large scores of people are at risk of developing breast cancer
and its imperative, breast cancer screening be given a space in our healthcare dispensation and delivery.
Whilst cancer screening is integral to cancer control and prevention, the Covid-19 pandemic, screening
has either been cancelled or postponed, leaving a significant number of patients without access to
recommended healthcare services. This disruption in cancer care and breast cancer awareness has a
significant impact on patients, healthcare practitioners and health systems. There should be synergistic
collaborations between patients, healthcare practitioners and healthcare systems to collectively deliver
holistic and efficient healthcare to all people of ill health. Breast cancer awareness is highly important to
educate and inform people of the disease, by regularly checking through screening or personal exercise
to detect breast cancer which can be treated to prevent unwanted death of loved ones.

Like many other women in developing countries, breast cancer screening among women is
unsatisfactory. As a result, many cases are diagnosed at advanced stages leading to poor outcomes
including mortalities. An understanding of the awareness and predictors of breast examination is an
important first step that guides the design of interventions aimed at raising awareness across the country
and even to the remote parts of the world. Breast cancer screening, especially with mammography, has
been recommended for many decades and yet there's awareness on the necessity to intensify the
awareness campaign and various bodies to support efforts of screening programs to decrease the
devastating consequences on the general populace.

In an article published on the Ministry of Health’s website, ‘a total of 2000 Ghanaian women were
diagnosed in 2012 with breast cancer.’ The table below depicts the estimated trend of breast cancer from
2012, 2018 through to 2040.
Estimated past and future trends in total cases per year (breast and lung) Probability of premature death from cancer per year
10,000
9,000 8,787
17.00 %
8,000
7,000
6,000
12.00 %
5,000 4,645
4,000
5.44 %
3,000 2,260 7.00 % 4.91%
5.475.44
% 5.35
% 5.25
% 5.13
% 5.02
% 4.92
% 4.91
% 4.90
% 4.90
% 4.91 % 4.93
% 4.93 % % 4.80 %
4.34%
2,000 4.584.77
4.47 %
% 4.73
4.36 %
% 4.69
4.25
% 4.61
% 4.65 % 4.57
% 4.03
4.14
% 4.53
% 3.92
% 4.50
% 4.46
% 4.42
% 4.38
% %
% 3.81
% 3.70
% 3.59
% 3.48
% 3.37
% %
1,000 348 250 511
- 2.00 %
3.25 %
Breast cancer Lung cancer 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030

2012 2018 2040 Past trends Projected linear trend SDG target

INVESTMENT CASE (2019)

*Lower middle income
At this income level, investing in a package of essential services and scaling-up coverage will:

Studies also suggest minimal positive effect of the breast cancer awareness due to the failure to intensify
the awareness to the corners of the country and most people in the rural areas have absolutely less
knowledge on breast cancer and its attendant screening options.

In conclusion, cancer and more specifically breast cancer are one of the major issues affecting women
worldwide and amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the must be an intensified awareness and a reimagined
healthcare system to accommodate the diverse health conditions and also, take steps to salvage the dire
consequences of breast cancer. Although breast cancer awareness is helping, there is deficit knowledge
on it and thus, there is a need to include men in breast cancer education campaigns and also, interactive
breast examination training can be organized at various tertiary institutions, workplaces using the
knowledge of health professionals.

REFERENCES

1. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/womens-health/in-depth/breast-cancer-prevention/art-2
0044676
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7599065/
3. https://europepmc.org/article/MED/34166407

Compiled by; Samuel Akpabli