Between the touch prep method, hygiene and vaccination, there are several ways to prevent gynecological cancers. But despite all these, the number of new cases continues to worry health experts while the population shows little interest.

In 2020, Cameroon recorded 4,170 new cases of breast cancer and 2,770 cases of cervical cancer. These two diseases are the most frequent forms of cancer in women with a rate of 34.1% for breast cancer and 22.6% for cervical cancer in the same year. The figures were provided by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

According to Prof. Jean Marie Kasia, Head of the Hospital Center for Research and Application in Endoscopic Surgery and Human Reproduction (CHRACERH), this is a disturbing situation. "There are reasons to worry when we see the aggressiveness of some of these cancers, especially breast cancer. It is better to detect them at an early stage and benefit from a curative treatment that allows finding a cure," he said.

CHRACERH organizes, every year, a free screening campaign for gynecological cancers. This year’s began on Wednesday, March 10, 2021, and will last a week. More than a hundred women have already been tested.

Women's cancers have become a major public health problem. Effective treatments exist but are often compromised by late diagnosis. For specialists, prevention remains the best way to defeat the disease; especially in the Cameroonian context where the cost of treatment is not within the reach of all women. Also, the distance from specialized centers for rural women is a concern.

Vaccination is also an effective means of prevention. It should be noted that vaccination campaigns for these diseases have not been well received by the population. On the other hand, all good hygiene practices can also save lives. 

In 2020, breast cancer killed 2000 Cameroonian women.

Vanessa Ngono Atangana