• Breast, cervical, prostate, oesophageal and colorectal cancers have been leading cases between 2018 and 2020.
• According to the report, breast cancer cases are at 39.4 per cent followed by cervical cancer at 28.6 per cent and esophageal cancer at 10.9 per cent.
Breast cancer cases are high in Mombasa due to fear of stigmatisation and late treatment, a report by the county Health department shows.
Breast, cervical, prostate, oesophageal and colorectal cancers have been leading between 2018 and 2020.
According to the report, breast cancer cases are at 39.4 per cent followed by cervical cancer at 28.6 per cent and esophageal cancer at 10.9 per cent.
Maryam Badawy, a consultant general surgeon focusing on breast cancer at the Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital, said breast cancer is the second killer disease in Kenya.
It is also the most common cancer disease among women, but the causes are still not well understood.
"Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the country after esophageal cancer specifically in women and this is because most women seek treatment at advanced stages,” she said.
Badawy said many women are not aware of breast cancer and how it can be treated.
"Many people believe that when you have cancer of any kind, it is a death sentence. That is not the case. Once it is detected early, there is a higher chance of survival,” she said.
The medic added that when the disease is detected at stage one, the chances of survival are at 98 per cent and above.
Cancer treatment is always expensive, tedious and hard on the wellbeing of the patient, but Badawy said that once it is done, life goes back to near normal.
"Breast cancer does not necessarily have to be painful, the majority of patients do not have pain when it starts. That is why we encourage people to present themselves to hospital early when they have any symptoms or abnormality within the breast, including change of size, pain or a lump,” she said.
Breast cancer status in Kenya stands at 25 per cent, and Badawy said in 2020 there were 6,400 newly diagnosed cases.
“The newly diagnosed reported cases are those that we know about. We have people who get cancer but stay at home assuming that it cannot be treated and they die,” she said.
The doctor said the National Hospital Insurance Fund helps in cancer treatment, which includes chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy.
Therefore, she said, there is need for everyone to register with NHIF.
However, it does not cover the investigation part of cancer, which is critical in diagnosis.
“Investigation of ailment is critical because it establishes diagnosis. This is very important to us before we start the treatment, but unfortunately patients have to pay from their pocket. This is what has been contributing to further delay in treatment,” she said.
There are, however, groups pushing to ensure NHIF covers for the investigation part.
She urged residents to seek medical treatment in case of any pain or symptoms, and women between the age of 40 and above to go for regular cancer screening every year.
Edited by EKibii