This week, as part of Pink October, we visited two villages in Kholifa Rowalla Chiefdom to raise awareness among women about breast cancer.
Nearly ninety women attended our sessions, during which we discussed the possible signs and symptoms of breast cancer and emphasized the importance of early diagnosis. We also taught them how to perform breast self-examinations at home.
In Sierra Leone, breast cancer remains widely underdiagnosed. Several factors contribute to this: a lack of information about the disease, reliance on traditional medicine rather than hospital care, limited access to quality healthcare, and the high cost and limited availability of diagnostic tests. As a result, half of all patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage of the disease.
Unlike Caucasian women, for whom breast cancer most often develops after the age of 50, West African women are, in the majority of cases, diagnosed before that age. A study conducted at the main public hospital in Freetown revealed that half of the patients were under 40 years old.
Treatment options in Sierra Leone remain very limited. Some chemotherapy drugs, targeted therapies (such as Herceptin), and radiotherapy are not available. The chemotherapy drugs that are available are often expensive, making treatment inaccessible for many women.
Given these challenges, breast cancer remains a leading cause of death among women in the country.
That is why health promotion initiatives in rural communities are so essential. Raising awareness, sharing information, and encouraging early detection can truly save lives.
