Pinktober: Breast cancer survival exceeds 90% when detected early – Breast Society of Ghana

As Ghana prepares to join the world in marking Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October 2026, the Breast Society of Ghana has called on women across the country to prioritise breast screening, stressing that early detection can significantly improve survival outcomes. The Society’s Pinktober 2026 message, themed “Early Action, Better Outcomes,” says breast cancer remains a major health challenge in Ghana and is the leading cause of cancer and cancer deaths among women. The statement was signed by Prof. Josephine Nsaful, President of the Breast Society of Ghana, and Enam Setsoafia, General Secretary. The Society expressed concern that too many women continue to present for treatment when the disease is already advanced, at which point it is no longer curable.

Pinktober Statement 2026_ corrected Download It, however, stressed that early breast cancer is curable and that Ghana has the modalities necessary to treat and cure the disease. According to the Society, there is no need for patients to automatically seek breast cancer treatment abroad, noting that Ghana has become a hub for specialist care in the subregion, with patients from across West Africa coming to the country for treatment. It said the survival rate of early breast cancer treated in Ghana was over 90 per cent, which it described as being comparable to outcomes in developed countries. The Society said the presence of breast cancer survivors in communities across Ghana was evidence that successful treatment was possible when the disease was detected early. Late diagnosis remains a challenge Despite the treatment capacity available in Ghana, the Society said advanced presentation remained a major challenge. When breast cancer is diagnosed at an advanced stage, treatment options become limited and prolonged,…