World Cancer Day a reminder of the importance of early screening and detection
More than 10 million people worldwide die from cancer every year.
This is figure is more than from HIV/Aids, malaria and tuberculosis combined. As the world commemorates World Cancer Day today, 4 February, experts believe that cancer deaths can rise to 13 million by 2030, a mere 8 years from now, if drastic action is not taken. Keystone Radiologist, Dr Nikoli van Zyl says ironically, more than a third of cancer deaths can be prevented.
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‘Another third of these cases can be cured if detected early and treated properly. By implementing resource-appropriate strategies on prevention, early detection and treatment, we can save millions of lives every year,’
she says.
Dr van Zyl says progress over the last few years has enabled the medical fraternity to know and understand more about cancer than ever before.
‘Through investing in research and innovation, we have witnessed extraordinary breakthroughs in medicine, diagnostics, and scientific knowledge. The more we know, the more progress we can make in reducing risk factors, increasing prevention and improving cancer diagnosis, prevention, treatment, and care,’
she explains.
Dr van Zyl says there is, however, still a lot of work to be done to demystify misconceptions around cancer and cancer treatment.
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‘Through raising the public and political literacy and understanding around cancer, we reduce fear, increase understanding, dispel myths and misconceptions, and change behaviours and attitudes. Being diagnosed with cancer should not be seen a death sentence.’
Dr van Zyl says at Keystone Medical, a leading radiology service provider in South Africa, the focus is on taking diagnosis from intuition to precision to ensure early detection and the correct treatment regime. One of the key focus areas for the group is mammography and the early detection of breast cancer. Van Zyl says it's vital that women are screened regularly to reduce the risks of this life-threatening disease. She says mammograms are capable of detecting signs of breast cancer before symptoms occur.
‘A mammogram can help detect breast cancer before physical symptoms develop by locating tumors that are too small or too deep to be found by breast self-examination. Yet, some women don’t get this lifesaving test when they should due to a number of reasons such as preconceived notions and misinformation,’
she says.
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Nearly one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some time during their lives. Van Zyl says considering these numbers, it may be surprising that only 67 percent of women older than 40 reports having a mammogram within the last two years. As part of efforts to make screening services more accessible to women around South Africa, Keystone Medical is deploying its state-of-the-art Mobile Breast Cancer Screening Unit around the country.
‘Detecting breast cancer early, can reduce the treatment burden and lead to a complete cure. The mobile breast cancer screening unit is the only one of its kind in South Africa, aiming to make mammographic screening and breast ultrasounds accessible to all women, both private and medical aid patients,’
says Dr van Zyl.
Van Zyl says the mobile unit has proved very successful in providing women around the country with a safe, out-of-hospital alternative.
‘We have seen a dramatic drop in the number of women going for their annual screenings following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. The mobile unit, however, provides a safe environment for women to receive preventative services which they may have postponed due to the pandemic. In 2021 alone, we managed to perform more than 2000 mammograms with the mobile screening unit during our initiatives around the country,’
van Zyl explains.
Van Zyl says an annual mammogram is recommended to all women over the age of 40, while a breast ultrasound can be done at any age.
Facts about breast cancer:
- Early detection of the condition can lead to effective treatment and a positive prognosis. The survival rate of breast cancer is over 90% when the cancer is detected at an early stage.
- Regular self-breast examination and regular mammograms are key to early detection.
- Presenting yourself early for treatment may result in more effective treatment, leading to a reduction in pain and suffering
The breast cancer screening unit is currently on deployment in Mpumalanga:
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Komatipoort: 31 January – 9 February 2022
Malelane: 10 – 18 February 2022
Mbombela: 21 – 28 February 2022
Hazyview: 3 – 11 March 2022
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