Online Reporter
Alicia Kadzviti
Herald Reporter
ZIMBABWE must shift from treating cancer only after symptoms appear to detecting the disease at its earliest stages, a leading pathologist has said, stressing that early diagnosis, personalised medicine and wider access to advanced screening technologies are key to improving survival rates.
Speaking at the second edition of the Zimbabwe Women’s Health Indaba on Saturday, pathologist and chairperson of the Zimbabwe National Cancer Registry, Professor Rudo Makunike Mutasa, said advances in molecular medicine, genomics and artificial intelligence were transforming cancer diagnosis and treatment, although affordability remained a major challenge.
Prof Mutasa described cancer as a disease in which abnormal cells continue multiplying unchecked, creating what she termed a “war between growth and death” that can only be won through early detection and timely intervention.
“There is a war between growth and death. The cells that should normally die continue to grow, while the body that should live dies. That is what cancer is,” she said.
She said cancer spared no one regardless of age, gender, race, religion or economic status, making it a national challenge requiring collective action.
“Cancer is everybody’s responsibility. It is everywhere, it affects every organ, and it is the great equaliser. Whether you are rich or poor, young or old, male or female, cancer may get you,” she said.
Prof Mutasa said medicine had evolved significantly over the past four decades from a one-size-fits-all approach to personalised treatment based on an individual’s genetic makeup.
“When we qualified as doctors 40 years ago, doctors simply prescribed treatment. Today medicine brings together clinicians, scientists, engineers, innovators, digital technology and artificial intelligence to fight cancer.”
She said advances in genomics now enabled doctors to understand the genetic changes that cause cancer and predict an individual’s risk long before symptoms appeared.
“We must move from reactive medicine to proactive medicine. Don’t wait for cancer to hunt you. Hunt for cancer yourself through regular screening and early testing.”
Prof Mutasa said traditional screening methods remained important, but new technologies could identify disease at much earlier stages.
She cited HPV DNA testing, which detects the virus responsible for cervical cancer before it causes abnormal cell changes, as one of the breakthroughs in cancer prevention.
However, she said the cost of advanced tests continued to limit access.
“The biggest barrier is affordability. HPV DNA testing costs about US$65, compared to US$15 for a Pap smear and around US$5 for VIAC. Government and stakeholders need to make these technologies affordable for every woman.”
Prof Mutasa also raised concern over the increasing incidence of colorectal cancer, saying changing lifestyles and genetic factors were driving the disease.
“When we were medical students, colorectal cancer was considered rare among black Africans,” she said.
“Today the numbers are rising rapidly because of western diets high in fat and low in fibre, as well as inherited genetic risks.”
She encouraged Zimbabweans to adopt healthier diets while embracing new diagnostic technologies capable of detecting colorectal cancer before symptoms develop.
Prof Mutasa said breast cancer management had also changed significantly, with genetic testing allowing women to determine whether they carried inherited mutations associated with a higher lifetime risk of the disease.
“Women who know they are at higher risk can be monitored more closely and receive earlier interventions instead of waiting until a lump develops.”
She urged women to encourage men to undergo routine prostate cancer screening, noting that men often delay seeking medical attention until the disease has advanced.
“If you do not want to become a widow or raise children alone, encourage your husband, father or brother to get tested. Men tend to wait until symptoms appear, and by then it is often too late.”
Prof Mutasa said regular prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing, combined with newer genetic-based diagnostic tools, was improving early detection and treatment outcomes.
She also highlighted targeted therapies made possible through molecular diagnosis, saying modern cancer treatment now focused on attacking specific cancer cells rather than destroying healthy tissue.
“Diagnosis is no longer simply about confirming cancer. It is about predicting how that cancer will behave and selecting treatment that is specific to that individual patient.”
Prof Mutasa said Zimbabwe should continue investing in molecular diagnostics, cancer research and public awareness to improve survival rates.
“Science has given us better tools than ever before. Our responsibility now is to make sure every Zimbabwean can benefit from them through early detection, prevention and equitable access to quality cancer care.”
