A British wildlife photographer based in Kigali on Tuesday June 4 completed his grueling 24-hour walk on a treadmill to raise awareness for cancer and the importance of early screening.

He also raised funds for Rwanda Cancer Relief, a local NGO dedicated to offering cancer patient support, cancer research, and also carry out awareness campaigns around the cancer disease.

The exercise, which was held at Kigali Convention Centre, also featured free screening for breast cancer was also availed onsite.

During different interactions, the photographer shared that his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2022, but thanks to early detection and medication, she was cancer free a year after.

This challenge is timely. Currently in Rwanda, more than 10,000 people are diagnosed with cancer every year, while over 7,000 lives are lost during the same period.

NCD alliance reports that data covering the 2007-2018 period from Rwanda’s newly established cancer registry suggests that the majority of cancer cases in Rwanda are never diagnosed or treated.

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In 2020, there were 2.3 million women diagnosed with breast cancer and 685,000 deaths globally. It is the second leading cause of cancer death in women.

UN data indicate that close to half of all breast cancers occur in women with no specific risk factors other than sex and age. This means that even those without personal or family history of cancer, or a high lifetime estrogen exposure, among others, are still at risk.

Research has shown that early detection of cancer can lead to a better prognosis and more treatment options. When cancer is detected early, it is often smaller and less likely to have spread to other parts of the body. This means that treatment is more likely to be successful and less invasive.

Early detection can also improve quality of life. When cancer is detected early, it is less likely to cause symptoms such as pain, fatigue, and nausea. Patients who are treated for early-stage breast cancer are also more likely to be able to keep parts of their body and have less disfiguring surgery.

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We must take early detection seriously, and support our family members and loved ones to do the same. Nevertheless, experts say cancer prevention is the most cost-effective and long-term intervention to control cancer.

Rwanda’s National Cancer Control Plan for 2020-2024 focuses on tobacco control, prevention of excessive alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, dietary factors, obesity and being overweight, as well as vaccination against HPV infection, among others.

All this would not be achieved, however, without collective efforts. At the end of the day, everyone is in charge of their own lives, and when it comes to living healthy, no choices are hard.