The Ashanti Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Fred Adomako, has called for intensified efforts to promote early detection and prompt treatment of breast cancer, saying early action remains critical to improving outcomes for patients.
According to him, breast cancer continues to pose a major public health challenge globally and in Ghana, with late diagnosis remaining one of the key factors contributing to deaths associated with the disease.
Dr Adomako made the call when he delivered a speech at the launch of this year’s Pink October breast cancer awareness campaign in the Ashanti Region, held under the theme: “Early Action, Better Outcome.”
He said the theme was particularly significant because the outcome of breast cancer was influenced not only by the disease itself, but also by how early it was detected, how quickly a diagnosis was established and how promptly appropriate treatment was commenced.
“Early action begins with recognising that something has changed,” he stated, urging women and men to pay attention to unusual changes in the breast and seek professional medical assessment without delay.
Global burden
Dr Adomako noted that breast cancer remained one of the most significant public health challenges affecting women across the world, with its impact extending beyond individuals diagnosed with the disease.
He said the disease affected families, livelihoods, communities and health systems, while imposing significant social and economic costs on society.
Citing the latest estimates from the International Agency for Research on Cancer, he said about 2.4 million women were diagnosed with breast cancer globally in 2024, while approximately 694,000 deaths were recorded.
He explained that breast cancer was currently the second most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide after lung cancer, but remained the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women and the leading cause of cancer deaths among women globally.
According to him, the situation was particularly worrying in Sub-Saharan Africa, where breast cancer had the highest prevalence among all cancers.
He said the region recorded 133,520 cases in 2022, resulting in 68,036 deaths, representing a mortality rate of 50.96 per cent.
The five-year prevalence rate, he added, stood at 54.5 per 100,000 people, according to GLOBOCAN 2022.
Dr Adomako attributed the disparity in breast cancer outcomes between high-income and low-income settings to differences in awareness, access to screening and diagnosis, availability of treatment and the timeliness with which patients entered and moved through the health system.
Ghana’s worrying situation
The Ashanti Regional GHS Director said Ghana continued to experience a significant burden of breast cancer, which remained the leading cancer among women in the country.
He disclosed that breast cancer accounted for 31.4 per cent of all female cancers in Ghana.
Citing GLOBOCAN 2022 figures, he said the country recorded an estimated 5,026 new breast cancer cases among women, with 2,369 deaths.
The deaths, he said, contributed to 47.15 per cent of female cancer-related deaths in the country.
He further stated that current national estimates indicated approximately 5,487 new breast cancer cases and more than 2,000 deaths annually.
Of particular concern, he said, was the fact that more than 80 per cent of breast cancer cases in Ghana were diagnosed at advanced stages—Stages Three and Four.
He said the situation was contrary to the World Health Organisation’s Global Breast Cancer Initiative’s early detection target, stressing the need for stronger efforts to encourage women to report breast abnormalities early.
Ashanti figures
Dr Adomako said the Ashanti Region was also confronted with a substantial breast cancer burden.
According to him, regional health data recorded 351 breast cancer cases in 2025, compared with 561 cases in 2024, 292 in 2023 and 234 in 2022.
He explained that although improvements in detection and reporting could contribute to variations in the number of recorded cases, the figures reinforced the need for sustained investment in prevention, early detection, accurate diagnosis and timely treatment.
He said the fight against breast cancer should therefore not be limited to awareness creation during Pink October, but should form part of sustained health education and service delivery throughout the year.
Know the warning signs
Dr Adomako urged the public to become familiar with the warning signs of breast cancer and seek professional assessment whenever they noticed unusual changes.
He identified a new lump or swelling in the breast or armpit as one of the common warning signs.
Other changes, he said, included alterations in the size or shape of the breast, skin dimpling, redness, scaling or a peau d’orange appearance, a newly inverted nipple and unusual nipple discharge, particularly blood-stained discharge.
Persistent pain in the breast or nipple unrelated to menstruation, he added, should also be professionally assessed.
The Regional Director, however, cautioned that not every breast lump was cancerous.
He explained that many breast abnormalities were benign or non-cancerous, but said it was difficult for an individual to reliably distinguish between a benign condition and cancer simply by looking at or feeling a lump.
“The appropriate response to a new or unusual breast change is therefore professional assessment,” he said.
Risk factors
Dr Adomako said there was no single cause of breast cancer and that, in many women, no specific risk factor could be identified.
He, however, identified age as one of the strongest risk factors, explaining that the likelihood of developing breast cancer generally increased as women grew older.
Other risk factors, he said, included a family history of breast, ovarian or colon cancer in a first-degree relative, inherited genetic mutations such as BRCA1 and BRCA2, previous breast cancer and certain hormonal therapies.
He also mentioned prolonged use of oral contraceptives, early menstruation before age 12, late menopause after age 55, having no children or having children after age 30.
Lifestyle-related risks, he added, included physical inactivity, obesity, alcohol consumption, smoking and exposure to ionising radiation in the chest area.
Prevention and early detection
Dr Adomako stressed that breast cancer was treatable, particularly when detected early, and urged the public to adopt measures that could help reduce the risk and improve early detection.
He encouraged women to undertake regular self-breast examinations and have regular clinical breast examinations by trained health professionals.
He also called for appropriate mammography screening for women aged 40 and above, while urging the public to embrace healthy lifestyles.
These, he said, included eating a balanced diet, engaging in regular physical activity, reducing alcohol consumption and avoiding smoking.
He further advised women to report any unusual breast changes promptly instead of waiting for symptoms to worsen.
Commends partners
Dr Adomako expressed appreciation to and the for their support towards the implementation of the BEAT Breast Cancer Project in the Ashanti Region.
He said the partnership represented a meaningful investment in the health and wellbeing of Ghanaian women and their families.
According to him, the project was helping to strengthen the skills of health professionals, promote community awareness and bring essential breast health services closer to communities.
He described the partnership as valuable to the region’s efforts to improve breast cancer outcomes.
Media urged to lead awareness campaign
Dr Adomako also called on the media to play a leading role in sustaining breast cancer awareness beyond the month of October.
He said the media had a unique ability to shape public understanding, influence health-seeking behaviour and take important health messages into homes and communities.
He urged media organisations to use their platforms to dispel myths, challenge stigma surrounding breast cancer and encourage people to seek medical attention early.
He said the media’s contribution was particularly important in ensuring that the message of early detection reached women and families across the region.
No death sentence
Dr Adomako urged the public to reject the perception that breast cancer was automatically a death sentence.
He said early detection and timely treatment could significantly improve outcomes and quality of life for patients.
“As we commence this year’s Breast Cancer Awareness activities, I extend a heartfelt invitation to each of you to join us in spreading the message of hope: that breast cancer is not a death sentence, that early detection saves lives, and that together, we can build a stronger and healthier future for our communities,” he said.
He reaffirmed the Ghana Health Service’s commitment to supporting awareness campaigns, strengthening health systems and expanding access to screening and treatment services across the Ashanti Region.
He called for collective action to ensure that no woman was left behind in the fight against breast cancer.
“Early Action, Better Outcome”, he stressed, should therefore become more than a Pink October slogan, but a continuous call for awareness, early reporting, accurate diagnosis and timely treatment.
