As the breast cancer awareness month comes to an end, one can only hope that efforts put into the campaign will bear fruit as the medical experts still grapple to establish the unknown cause of breast cancer. 

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers among women in Rwanda followed by cervical and stomach cancer, according to the latest statistics from the Ministry of Health. Breast cancer is a malignant tumor that starts in the cells of the breast. A malignant tumor is a group of cancer cells that can grow invade surrounding tissues or spread to distant areas of the body.

The disease occurs almost entirely in women, but men can get it too.

Philippa Kibugu, the founder of Breast Cancer Initiative East Africa (BCIEA) Inc is a cancer survivor. Kibugu advises women to go for cancer screening since that is the only way cancer can be detected early to increase the chances of successfully treating it. She also urges women to avoid lifestyles which could expose them to cancer.

"Ninety per cent of cancer cases are preventable if one maintains a healthy nutrition and most importantly exercises,” Kibugu cautions.

Recently a walk dubbed "Ulinzi Walk” was staged in Kigali to inform the public about the deadly breast cancer disease. The march attracted health workers, survivors and supporters with the aim to sensitise people on early detection as the best protection against cancer.

Kibugu says that it was through awareness campaigns that she got a chance to survive breast cancer.

"Early detection is the best protection. Most women die of breast cancer as a result of lack of awareness. Therefore my journey is to bring awareness about this cancer,” Kibugu said at a community forum held at Christ church Rwanda four days ago.

Ann Katusiime, the First Secretary and Deputy Head, Uganda High Commission in Rwanda, was one of the women who went for screening at Christ church Rwanda. It was her second time and she had no problem with the experience.

"The nurses were really warm and caring; they explained to us the importance of early screening and then started the screening procedure. The procedure was really simple and not painful. I was told to hold my arms up and the nurse pressed gently on my breasts one by one checking for anything hard, and luckily I had no problem. It was awareness programmes that gave me the courage to go and get tested,” Katusiime says.

Statistics at Butaro Cancer Centre indicate that breast cancer accounts for 40.3 per cent of all cancer diagnosed in the country. The centre’s Dr. Fidel Rubagumya says that breast cancer awareness campaigns are already making an impact.

"We get a lot of questions coming our way as a result of these awareness campaigns. On average different clinics at our centres work three days a week but each, handles a minimum of 40 people a month,” Dr.Rubagumya says.

He adds that the patients who screen and the problem is detected at an early stage, there are higher chances of healing, but for those who delay; the chances of surviving the cancer are really low.

"It is important to go for a checkup earlier because if the mass is detected earlier, we do surgery and we take it out and the patient doesn’t need to receive any other treatment. But when we find that the mass has extended to other parts, then we recommend chemotherapy,” he adds.

Dr. Pacifique Mugenzi, an oncologist from Rwanda Military Hospital says that the turn up of people testing for cancer has increased compared to the past.

"People are positively responding to the breast cancer campaigns, both young girls and women are turning up. Screening is done every Wednesday at Rwanda Military Hospital and we receive a minimum of 10 people a week. The amazing thing is that they come when its only pain that they feel as opposed to the past when they would come with tumors. This is good because if breast cancer is detected at an early stage, there are 90 percent chances of being treated and you heal,” Dr. Mugenzi says.

What causes breast cancer?

Health experts say there is no confirmed exact cause of cancer but note that there are risky factors associated with cancer, which people should steer clear of.

"We can never say that there is a cause of breast cancer but there are risky factors like smoking, being physically inactive, family history. I just want to emphasise that if one doesn’t have any risk factor, it doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t go for screening; in fact about 90 percent of victims were not exposed to any risk factor. The only preventive measure for breast cancer is to avoid the risk factors, for example one can avoid use of hormones especially estrogen. But the most important thing is screening, checking yourself and consulting when one has a problem,” Dr. Mugenzi advises.

Dr. Faustin Ntirenganya, an onco-plastic and reconstructive surgeon at Kigali Teaching University Hospital (CHUK), also says that there is increase in the number of women coming for a checkup.

Asked about the cancer survival rate, Dr. Ntirenganya says that will take time to establish.

"My clinic does checkups on a weekly basis and I receive around four or five females a week and most of them have a breast mass. The survival rate can be detected after five years. For now, it cannot be detected since the programme only started two years ago,” says Ntirengnya.

Dr. Jean Paul Balinda, a senior officer at Rwanda Biomedical Centre says that according to statistics from Butaro Cancer Centre, in the last two years, 545 cases of breast cancer were reported, representing 40.3 per cent of all cases reported in the country.

Rwanda Biomedical Centre has more strategies to improve on cancer awareness. "We have strategies to improve breast cancer awareness through campaigns, through the media. We organise training for community workers, and we are planning to avail all services at all health centres. It’s not easy to eliminate breast cancer because the cause is unknown, as it is the case with other cancers. The main strategy now is to raise awareness about all risk factors for all cancers in general and breast cancer in particular. The cure for breast cancer is early detection because when the breast cancer is diagnosed earlier, the treatment is easy and it’s treatable,” Dr. Balinda says.

 editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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5 things young women must know about breast cancer

Know your breasts. Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in young women aged 15 to 34. Talk to your doctor about the pros and cons of breast self-exams. If you choose to do breast self exams, your doctor can review how to do them with you.

Be persistent. If you think you feel "something,” and family or doctors dismiss your concerns because you’re "too young for breast cancer,” it might be tempting to believe them and not seek further answers. But you have to be your own advocate.

Doctor shop. Don’t automatically go with the first doctor you see. And yes, you have time. Most breast cancers are not like other cancers where you have to start treatment immediately. You want a treatment team you’re comfortable with and that is aware of all the newer approaches, such as genetics, neoadjuvant therapy (chemotherapy before surgery), and looking at molecular markers of your tumor to figure out your individual risk.

Network with other young women. Breast cancer when you’re in your 20s, 30s, and even 40s can be so isolating. Look online and ask your doctor for connections with other women your age. Women with breast cancer are amazing -- women who’ve never met are connected by a doctor or a friend, and they’ll visit each other at home or pick someone up and take them to chemo. It isn’t a group you’d ever sign up for, but it’s a group that can make dealing with cancer as a young woman so much less lonely and difficult.

Research your options. Learn about things like stage and grade, and what they mean to your treatment options. No question is stupid. Every question is important. Good online sources for information include breastcancer.org, the Young Survival Coalition (www.youngsurvival.org), and Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered (FORCE, www.facingourrisk.org), for women at genetically higher risk of developing cancer.

www.webmd.com