Women across the country have the opportunity to undergo breast cancer screening using a new technology at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi. The new technology, 3D Digital Breast Tomosynthesis (DBT) uses digital mammography to provide for high quality digital imaging that improves diagnostic accuracy during the screening of cancer.
According to a report by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, cancer is the third highest cause of death in Kenya, at 7% of deaths per year, after infectious and cardiovascular diseases. In 2018, the country reported 47,887 cancer cases with breast cancer at 13 per cent, cervical cancer at 11 per cent and oesophageal cancer at nine per cent.
The 2018 GLOBOCAN report by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer revealed that despite significant strides made in detecting, managing and treating of breast cancer, the disease is still one of the leading cancers in Kenya. Out of the approximately 6,000 women diagnosed with breast cancer each year, about half (2,553) will die of it.
With these grim statistics, a lot needs to be done to overcome the burden of breast cancer disease across the country.
Dr Rose Ndumia, an alumna of Aga Khan University class of 2012, has been championing the early screening and detection of breast cancer before a patient discovers a lump because this can be crucial towards the management and treatment of the disease.
After graduating from Aga Khan University, Dr Rose proceeded for a one-year fellowship training in Breast Imaging and Interventions at the Marleen Greenebaum Diagnostic Breast Centre, Hadassah Medical Centre in Israel. In addition, she had an observership experience at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre’s Breast Imaging Center in New York, USA.
“The new technology, Digital Breast Tomosynthesis, is a revolutionary new screening and diagnostic breast imaging tool that we are currently using to improve the early detection of breast cancer. The technology creates 1 mm slices of images of the breast, which allow radiologist’s to identify small tumors,” says Dr Rose.
She indicates that in addition to this technology, a new biopsy technique known as Vacuum Assisted Breast Biopsy (VABB), the only of its kind in the country, is also used in the diagnosis of breast cancer at the facility.
“This biopsy technique is unique in that it uses vacuum to obtain tissue samples with a greater diagnostic yield than with the normal core needle biopsy technique, which is currently used in many facilities across the country,” she adds.
According to her, she indicates that many women who have succumbed to breast cancer disease in the country could have been avoided if early screening and proper diagnosis was encouraged.
“Early detection is important because the patient can undergo breast conservation surgery and, in some instances, may not even require chemotherapy sessions, which spares the patient the dreaded side effects that usually comes with it. The overall treatment is less costly, patient-friendly and increases the overall survival chances of patients,” she adds.
Currently, Dr Rose Ndumia is the Section Head of Breast Imaging in the Radiology Department at the Aga Khan University, Hospital. She is passionate about community outreach programmes and has conducted multiple free breast medical camps across the country.
