Council aims to shorten breast cancer diagnosis to 60 days

The Africa Breast Cancer Council is aiming to shorten the waiting time for breast cancer diagnosis to six months as it forms a leadership of women to advocate for cancer care.

It can take more than six months for women in Africa to receive a breast cancer diagnosis after noticing symptoms, partly due to healthcare system inefficiencies and limited access to specialised care.

This contributes to 60 to 70 per cent of African women receiving a diagnosis in the late stage, reducing chances of survival and increasing cancer care costs with more expensive therapies and longer hospital stays.

With the support of Roche, one of the world’s largest biotech companies, the group of African women leaders plans to tackle the growing burden of breast cancer on the African continent.

Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu, head of, the Africa Breast Cancer Council and president-elect of, the Union for International Cancer Control said the council will accelerate action on the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among African women.

She noted that the knowledge of risk factors and early symptoms is poor. In addition, women face fear of stigmatization and financial burden, preventing them from seeking treatment.

“As our work progresses, we will be highlighting critical gaps like these that Nigeria needs to close to speed up effective breast cancer diagnosis and treatment,” Shinkafi-Bagudu said.

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women in Africa and causes the most cancer-related deaths.

Only one in two women in sub-Saharan Africa are currently expected to survive for five years after receiving a diagnosis.

The Council plans to leverage its diverse and complementary experience to drive policy change across African countries.

It aims to advocate for increased collaboration, better data collection, and improved patient outcomes.

In addition, it will seek to foster systemic improvements in healthcare infrastructure, access, and funding, driving sustainable, scalable impact for breast cancer care.

The council will initially focus on African healthcare systems that are open to partnership and innovation before scaling its work across the continent.

The three-year survival rate for women diagnosed with breast cancer in Nigeria is estimated at 36 per cent.

This is largely due to late diagnosis, linked to low awareness of the importance of breast self-examinations, the high cost of treatment, and the low number of health centres in rural areas. It is also exacerbated by a lack of ring-fenced budgets for cancer care.

Wendy Cupido, Africa Breast Cancer Council co-chair and general manager at Roche South Africa and Sub Region said: “Every woman on this Council has a day job that plays an important role in the fight against breast cancer. Our aim is to channel our knowledge, expertise, relationships, and energy into a collective voice, and a collective force, to focus on significant areas of concern.”

Magda Robalo, Africa Breast Cancer Council member and president of the Institute for Global Health and Development said: “Most African women with breast cancer are diagnosed too late and, even after a diagnosis, many do not receive the treatment they need. This egregious injustice is utterly preventable. In response, the Africa Breast Cancer Council will work to shape policies and advocate for governments to urgently commit the resources needed.”