Ghana needs Breast Cancer Centre of Excellence — Surgeon

A Professor of Surgery at the University of Ghana Medical School, Prof. Joe-Nat Clegg Lamptey, has called for the establishment of a Breast Cancer Centre of Excellence in the country to improve access to diagnosis, treatment and patient support.

He said such a specialised centre would enable patients to receive comprehensive breast cancer services under one roof rather than moving across different facilities in the city for tests, consultations and treatment.

Speaking at his Inaugural Lecture at the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences (GAAA) in Accra last Thursday, Prof. Lamptey said the facility would streamline care, improve patient outcomes and strengthen the country’s capacity to manage the growing burden of breast cancer.

Prof. Lamptey, who is also a Consultant Surgeon at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, said a dedicated centre would bring together specialists, laboratories, imaging services, counselling and treatment facilities to ensure faster and more coordinated care.

Event

The lecture was on the topic: “The Breast — Blessing or Curse? Mitigating the Scourge of Breast Cancer in Ghana”.

The well-attended lecture, interlaced with choral music, brought together participants from academia, the health sector, politics, business, traditional authorities, as well as family members and well-wishers of the speaker.

Notable among the attendees were the President of the GAAS, Emerita Prof. Isabella Akyinbab Quakyi and the Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department, Commissioner of Police Lydia Yaako Donkor.

Early detection, awareness

Prof. Lamptey stressed the urgent need for stronger awareness, early detection and effective treatment to mitigate the growing burden of breast cancer in Ghana.

He stressed that while the breast was fundamentally a blessing — playing vital roles in nutrition, immunity, bonding and social identity — breast cancer had become a major health challenge affecting many women.

He mentioned that breast cancer accounted for a significant proportion of cancers among women in Ghana, and warned that the incidence was expected to increase due to ageing populations, lifestyle changes associated with westernisation and reproductive factors such as delayed childbirth.

“What I believe will help solve the problem is the establishment of a breast centre.

“It should be a one-stop shop where patients can consult surgeons, psychologists and other relevant professionals.

They should also be able to undergo all the required tests there, including scans, mammograms and other diagnostic procedures.

The centre can also house a laboratory, training facilities and admission units to cater for all aspects of breast care.

I believe this is achievable,” he stated.

Prof. Lamptey said breast cancer had profound biological, psychological, social and financial impacts, including emotional distress, stigma, strained relationships, and high treatment costs for families.

He also highlighted Ghana’s relatively high mortality rates from breast cancer compared to developed countries, attributing this largely to late detection and ineffective treatment-seeking behaviours, including reliance on herbal remedies and delayed hospital visits.

Prof. Lamptey also highlighted research findings showing that many patients delayed seeking care due to stigma, financial constraints, misdiagnosis and reliance on alternative treatments.

“And you will agree with me that with increasing access to education — and I am not suggesting that people should not go to school — many individuals strive to climb the social and corporate ladders, which often leads to the postponement of childbearing.

As a result, some of these risk factors are increasing in our society,” he stressed.

“The other thing we sought to find out in the study was what we termed speculative factors.

For instance, we know that many women prefer lighter skin tones and therefore use skin-lightening creams — essentially bleaching products.

We also examined the use of hair relaxers.

Although we did not find any connection between skin-lightening creams and breast cancer, the relationship between hair relaxers, particularly non-black hair relaxers, was, let’s just say, not very reassuring,” he said.

To address these challenges, he called for intensified public awareness campaigns, improved counselling and patient support systems, and stronger collaboration among healthcare providers, researchers and advocacy groups.