LAGOS, Nigeria / AfricaWire.IO / – A study highlighted by St. George’s University reveals that over 21.9% of women diagnosed with breast cancer in five sub-Saharan African nations are under 40. This statistic has led the university to advocate for risk-based screening strategies across the continent. SGU emphasized that healthcare providers should evaluate individual risk factors alongside age when determining screening protocols, warning that relying solely on age could hinder early detection efforts in underserved populations.
This appeal was part of SGU’s initiatives for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The university emphasized the importance of expanding access to breast exams, diagnostic imaging, and specialized care. According to GLOBOCAN 2024 estimates from the International Agency for Research on Cancer, Africa experienced approximately 225,643 new breast cancer cases and 100,070 related deaths in 2024. Breast cancer remains the most common cancer among African women and is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality in this group.
Dr. Tonia Frame, head of SGU’s Global Health Unit within the Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine in Grenada, stated that age alone should not be the sole factor in assessing risk. “Breast cancer risk does not suddenly begin at a particular birthday,” she explained, adding that women of the same age can have very different risk profiles. She advised women to become familiar with their breasts’ normal appearance and sensations, encouraging prompt medical consultation for any unexplained changes.
Screening deficiencies leave many women without proper checks
A 2026 systematic review and meta-analysis cited by SGU found that only 13% of women in sub-Saharan Africa had ever undergone a clinical breast examination. The university pointed out that this gap is partly due to disparities in education, household income, health insurance, and healthcare access. Frame highlighted that breast cancer in Africa often presents at a younger age, while access to high-quality imaging remains inconsistent.
SGU identified risk factors such as family history of breast or ovarian cancer, genetic inheritance, breast density, and previous high-risk lesions that influence screening strategies. Women carrying BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations might require earlier screening, potentially starting at age 25, based on clinical advice. The university encouraged women to discuss these factors, as well as genetic counseling and prior biopsy results, with their healthcare providers.
AI tools are essential for improving the pathway from awareness to treatment
SGU also highlighted artificial intelligence as a valuable aid for triage, interpreting images, prioritizing workflows, and estimating risks in regions lacking specialists. It warned that such technologies must undergo validation, quality assurance, diagnostic confirmation, and continuous monitoring across different populations. “The most important feature is not the algorithm alone, but the complete pathway linking awareness, initial assessment, referral, diagnostic confirmation and treatment,” Frame emphasized.
She suggested that community health workers, portable AI devices, and digital referral systems could extend primary healthcare services to women facing geographic, financial, or systemic barriers. SGU called for enhanced diagnostic infrastructure, increased training for frontline health workers, and improved referral mechanisms. It stressed that personalized screening approaches are necessary to identify women who require earlier assessments without subjecting others to unnecessary procedures. The university concluded that early detection improvements must be coupled with timely diagnosis and treatment.