Ashanti Records 561 Breast Cancer Cases in 2024 as Health Authorities Intensify Early Detection Drive
The Ashanti Region recorded 561 breast cancer cases in 2024, nearly double the 292 cases recorded in 2023, raising concerns over the region’s growing breast cancer burden and the need for early detection.
Data from the Regional Health Directorate show that breast cancer cases increased from 234 in 2022 to 292 in 2023, before rising sharply to 561 in 2024. The figure, however, declined to 351 cases in 2025.
Although variations in detection and reporting may have contributed to the changes, the Ashanti Regional Health Directorate says the figures highlight the need for sustained investment in breast cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
Briefing the media at the launch of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Ashanti Regional Director of Health Services, Dr Fred Adomako-Boateng, said the region continued to face a significant breast cancer burden.
He said the statistics should strengthen efforts to ensure that breast cancer is detected before it progresses to advanced stages.
Nationally, breast cancer remains the leading cancer among women in Ghana, accounting for 31.4 per cent of all female cancers.
GLOBOCAN 2022 estimates indicate that Ghana recorded 5,026 new breast cancer cases and 2,369 deaths in 2022, with breast cancer accounting for 41.2 per cent of female cancer-related deaths.
Dr Adomako-Boateng expressed concern that more than 80 per cent of breast cancer cases in Ghana are diagnosed at advanced stages, particularly Stages 3 and 4.
“The outcome of breast cancer is influenced not only by the disease itself, but by how early it is diagnosed, how quickly a diagnosis is established, and how promptly appropriate treatment is initiated,” he said.
He urged members of the public to pay attention to unusual changes in their breasts and seek professional medical assessment promptly.
According to him, warning signs may include a new lump or swelling in the breast or armpit, changes in breast size or shape, skin dimpling, redness or scaling, a newly inverted nipple, unusual or bloody nipple discharge, and persistent breast or nipple pain unrelated to menstruation.
The Regional Health Director, however, cautioned against assuming that every breast lump is cancerous, noting that many breast abnormalities are benign.
He stressed that the difference between a benign condition and cancer cannot reliably be determined by simply looking at or touching a lump, making professional assessment essential.
The Ghana Health Service is encouraging women to conduct regular breast self-examinations, undergo clinical breast examinations and mammography screening from age 40, maintain healthy lifestyles and promptly report unusual breast changes.
Dr Adomako-Boateng also called on the media to intensify public education, dispel myths and reduce the stigma surrounding breast cancer to encourage early treatment.
The Ashanti Regional Health Directorate is implementing the Beat Breast Cancer Project, with support from the Ghana Health Service Headquarters, the Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) team, JHPIEGO and the Pfizer Foundation.
The project seeks to strengthen professional capacity, improve community awareness and expand access to breast health services across the region.
By Esther Padmore Amonoo
