St. George’s University (SGU) has called for risk-based breast cancer screening across Africa, following a study which found that 21.9 per cent of women diagnosed with the disease across five sub-Saharan African countries were below the age of 40.
The university urged healthcare providers to consider individual risk factors alongside age when determining screening needs, warning that an age-only approach could limit early detection, particularly in underserved communities.
SGU made the call as part of activities marking Breast Cancer Awareness Month, highlighting the need to improve access to breast examinations, diagnostic imaging and specialist care.
According to estimates by the International Agency for Research on Cancer’s GLOBOCAN 2024, published in 2026, Africa recorded approximately 225,643 new breast cancer cases and 100,070 deaths in 2024.
Breast cancer remains the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women on the continent and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among them.
Assistant Professor and Director of the Global Health Unit in the Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine at SGU, Grenada, Dr. Tonia Frame, said breast cancer risk varied among individuals and should not be determined by age alone.
“Breast cancer risk does not suddenly begin at a particular birthday, and two women of the same age may have very different risk profiles,” Frame said.
She urged women to familiarise themselves with the usual appearance and feel of their breasts and seek prompt medical evaluation for unexplained changes.
“In Africa, where breast cancer often presents at a comparatively younger age, and access to high-quality imaging is uneven, discussions about early detection should extend beyond age alone,” she added.
The university identified family history of breast or ovarian cancer, inherited genetic factors, breast density, and previous high-risk breast lesions as factors that could influence individual screening plans.
It stated that women with BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene variants might require screening earlier than the average-risk population, potentially from age 25, depending on clinical recommendations.
SGU also cited a 2026 systematic review and meta-analysis, which found that only 13 per cent of women in sub-Saharan Africa had ever undergone a clinical breast examination.
It attributed disparities in screening uptake partly to differences in educational attainment, household wealth, health insurance coverage and access to healthcare services.
The institution called for improved diagnostic infrastructure, more training for frontline health workers, expanded access to imaging and pathology services, and stronger referral systems to ensure women with abnormal findings received timely care.
It also highlighted the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to support breast cancer detection through patient triage, image interpretation, workflow prioritisation, and risk estimation, particularly in areas with limited specialist capacity.
However, the university cautioned that AI tools required proper validation, quality assurance, diagnostic confirmation, and continuous monitoring to ensure reliable performance across different population groups.
Frame said integrating community health workers, portable AI technology, and digital referral pathways into primary healthcare could help reach women facing geographical, financial and health-system barriers.
She stated, “The most important feature is not the algorithm alone, but the complete pathway linking awareness, initial assessment, referral, diagnostic confirmation and treatment.
“AI output is not a diagnosis. It must be interpreted alongside the patient’s clinical history, risk factors, examination findings and appropriate diagnostic imaging.”
SGU said personalised screening should identify women who could benefit from earlier or additional assessments without exposing others to unnecessary investigations.
The university encouraged women to discuss their family history, possible need for genetic counselling, breast density, and previous symptoms or biopsy results with healthcare providers to determine appropriate screening and follow-up plans.
It stressed that improving early detection must go hand in hand with timely diagnosis and treatment, stating that delay in assessing suspicious symptoms and confirming abnormal findings remained significant challenges across Africa.
Sunday Ehigiator
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