LAGOS, Nigeria / AfricaWire.IO / – St. George’s University (SGU) has highlighted a significant statistic indicating that more than one in five women diagnosed with breast cancer across five sub-Saharan African nations were under the age of 40. The university emphasized the importance of implementing risk-based screening strategies throughout Africa, suggesting healthcare providers should evaluate individual risk factors alongside age when determining screening protocols. Relying solely on age could hinder early detection efforts, especially in underserved regions, the institution warned.
This call to action was part of SGU’s initiatives during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The university underscored the urgent need to enhance access to breast examinations, diagnostic imaging, and specialist services. According to the 2026 GLOBOCAN 2024 estimates from the International Agency for Research on Cancer, Africa experienced approximately 225,643 new cases of breast cancer and 100,070 related deaths in 2024. Breast cancer remains the most common cancer diagnosis among African women and the primary cause of their cancer-related fatalities.
Dr. Tonia Frame, who oversees the Global Health Unit within SGU’s Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine in Grenada, stated that age should not be the sole factor in assessing risk. “Breast cancer risk does not suddenly begin at a particular birthday,” she explained, emphasizing that two women of the same age can have markedly different risk profiles. She advised women to familiarize themselves with the normal appearance and feel of their breasts and to seek medical evaluation for any unexplained changes.
Screening disparities leave many women unexamined
A systematic review and meta-analysis from 2026, cited by SGU, revealed that only 13% of women in sub-Saharan Africa had ever undergone a clinical breast examination. The university attributed this gap partly to disparities in education, household income, health insurance coverage, and healthcare access. Dr. Frame pointed out that breast cancer in Africa tends to present at a younger age, while access to high-quality imaging remains inconsistent across the continent.
SGU highlighted several risk factors that influence screening decisions, including family history of breast or ovarian cancer, genetic inheritance, breast density, and previous high-risk lesions. Women carrying BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations might need to start screening earlier than average-risk women, potentially from age 25, based on clinical guidance. The university urged women to discuss these factors, genetic counseling, and prior biopsy results with their healthcare providers.
Artificial intelligence can support early detection pathways
SGU also pointed to artificial intelligence as a valuable tool for triage, interpreting images, prioritizing workflows, and estimating risk, particularly in regions with limited specialist availability. However, it cautioned that such technologies require validation, quality assurance, diagnostic verification, and continuous monitoring across diverse populations. “The most important feature is not the algorithm alone, but the complete pathway linking awareness, initial assessment, referral, diagnostic confirmation, and treatment,” Dr. Frame noted.
She added that community health workers, portable AI devices, and digital referral systems could help extend primary healthcare services to women facing geographic, financial, and systemic obstacles. SGU called for strengthening diagnostic infrastructure, increasing training for frontline health personnel, and establishing more effective referral processes. The university emphasized that personalized screening approaches should identify women who require earlier evaluation without subjecting others to unnecessary procedures. Improving early detection must be accompanied by timely diagnosis and treatment, the university concluded.