By Royal Ibeh
Nigeria is grappling with a growing breast cancer crisis, as cases have surged by a staggering 296 per cent and related deaths by 223 per cent over the past three decades.
Stakeholders at the Roche Breast Cancer Summit 2025, held in Lagos on Wednesday, sounded the alarm, citing rising treatment costs, limited healthcare access, and widespread misinformation as key drivers behind the escalating epidemic.
A Professor of Surgical Oncology from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Professor Emmanuel Ezeome, in a sombre address, described breast cancer as a public health emergency. Quoting data from the British Medical Journal, Ezeome noted that breast cancer incidence in sub-Saharan Africa has risen by 247 percent in 30 years, with Nigeria accounting for a significant portion of that increase, adding that the country’s age-standardised breast cancer incidence rate jumped from 24.9 to 38.2 per 100,000, while mortality increased from 19.3 to 26.9 per 100,000.
This disease is not only more prevalent but also more deadly,” Ezeome said, highlighting Nigeria’s mortality-to-incidence ratio of over 51 percent, one of the highest in the world. He attributed this grim statistic to late diagnoses, limited access to effective care, and high out-of-pocket costs, which consume over 40 percent of the annual income for 90 percent of patients.
He decried Nigeria’s inadequate radiotherapy capacity on infrastructure, with only 14 centres nationwide, of which just eight are functional. He also lamented the underutilisation of breast-conserving surgery, which could benefit up to 30 percent of patients if early diagnosis and adequate care were available.
The professor called for a unified, multi-sectoral approach to curb the crisis, stressing the need for collaboration between government, health professionals, civil society, and development partners. “Operating in silos has only worsened outcomes. We must align our efforts if we are to reduce mortality and improve survival,” he urged.
He emphasised the urgent need for broader cancer education, equitable access to care, and stronger infrastructure while recommending integrating cancer education into school curricula, expanding routine screening, and countering harmful misinformation, especially from religious and traditional institutions, through community-led awareness campaigns.
With only 10 percent of Nigerians covered by health insurance, Ezeome called for mandatory coverage for all employees and deeper public-private partnerships to create more affordable treatment models. This is necessary to boost survival rate as national survival rates remain dismal (just 25–27 percent) over five years, compared to over 80 percent in high-income countries, Ezeome averred.
Echoing these concerns, the general manager of Roche Nigeria, Dr Ladipo Hameed, described the current state of cancer care as one marked by “unmet needs” while underscoring the dire outcomes for Nigerian cancer patients, citing persistent challenges with late diagnosis and limited treatment options. “We have made significant advancements in research and drug development. But the key to saving lives lies in accurate diagnosis, personalised treatment, and guiding patients through the healthcare system,” Hameed said.
Roche recently launched the Africa Breast Cancer Ambition (ABCA), a programme aimed at transforming outcomes for African women. The initiative sets ambitious goals, including diagnosing 60 percent of cases at early stages and reducing diagnosis times from six months to just 60 days.
Hameed emphasised that focusing on breast cancer, Africa’s most common and emotive cancer, could catalyse improvements across the oncology landscape. “If we build expertise and infrastructure around breast cancer, the ripple effect will strengthen care for other cancers like colorectal and liver,” he noted.
He lauded recent government investments, including new radiotherapy equipment and the anticipated opening of three treatment centres by mid-year. “Not long ago, the country had just one or two functional radiotherapy machines. Now, we’re seeing encouraging growth,” he said. Hameed also praised financial support mechanisms like the National Cancer Health Fund (NCHF) and the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), which aim to lessen the financial burden of cancer treatment. “Mandatory health insurance is a step in the right direction. It brings hope to millions who previously faced catastrophic out-of-pocket costs,” he added.
