Rumbidzayi Zinyu;e
Health Buzz
October is almost coming to an end, and so are the displays of pink ribbons, awareness campaigns and calls for women to get screened for breast cancer.
But while the pink decorations may soon disappear, the disease will not take a break until next October.
Women will continue to face the risk of breast cancer, patients will still need treatment and families will continue to grapple with the emotional and financial burden of a diagnosis.
This raises an important question: should awareness of a disease that claims thousands of lives globally every year be confined to just one month?
For Zimbabwe, where breast cancer remains one of the leading cancers affecting women, the answer is no.
Awareness must extend beyond October to become a sustained public health effort that encourages women to recognise warning signs, seek medical attention promptly and access timely diagnosis and treatment.
As the annual pink campaign draws to a close, the challenge is to ensure that its message does not fade with the month, but continues to influence health-seeking behaviour and strengthen the country’s response to breast cancer.
The 2019 National Cancer Registry report identified breast cancer as the second most common cancer among women after cervical cancer, accounting for approximately 21 percent of female cancer cases.
Globally, the burden is equally concerning.
The World Health Organisation estimates that approximately 2.4 million women were diagnosed with breast cancer and 694 000 people died from the disease in 2024. Breast cancer was the most frequently diagnosed cancer among women in 164 of 186 countries assessed that year.
Behind these statistics are women whose outcomes can be shaped by how quickly they recognise a change in their breasts, how soon they seek medical attention and whether the health system can provide the investigations and treatment they need.
So awareness is not simply about knowing that breast cancer exists. It is about ensuring that knowledge translates into action throughout the year.
Beyond the pink ribbon
Breast Cancer Awareness Month provides an important platform for public education, community outreach and fundraising.
However, its impact will remain limited if awareness rises in October only to fade during the other 11 months.
Women need regular reminders that breast cancer can develop at different ages, that symptoms should never be ignored and that seeking medical attention promptly is important even when a lump is painless.
Breast awareness should not be confused with a guarantee of protection. Knowing how one’s breasts normally look and feel can help identify changes, but self-examination alone cannot rule out cancer. Nor should the absence of a lump create a false sense of security.
Some breast cancers may not cause obvious symptoms in their early stages. Clinical assessment and appropriate diagnostic investigations remain essential when abnormalities are suspected, while screening recommendations depend on age, individual risk and the availability of suitable services.
Men can also develop breast cancer, although it is uncommon. This is another reason awareness campaigns should reach entire communities rather than presenting breast cancer as an issue that concerns women alone.
The WHO estimates that approximately 80 percent of breast cancers occur in women who have no specific risk factors apart from being female and growing older. This makes it particularly important to challenge the misconception that only women with a family history of the disease or an unhealthy lifestyle need to be concerned.
Year-round awareness can help correct such misconceptions, encourage timely consultations and reduce the stigma that sometimes surrounds cancer.
It can also help families understand how to support women who notice symptoms, rather than dismissing their concerns or encouraging them to rely exclusively on traditional remedies before seeking medical attention.
The danger of delayed diagnosis
One of the strongest arguments for keeping breast cancer awareness alive throughout the year is the risk associated with delayed diagnosis.
When women postpone seeking medical attention, a cancer that might have been detected before spreading can progress to an advanced stage, making treatment more complex and potentially reducing the chances of survival.
The reasons for delays are varied.
Some women may not recognise the significance of symptoms, while others fear a cancer diagnosis or believe that a painless lump is harmless. Financial constraints, transport costs, limited access to diagnostic facilities and the distance between rural communities and specialised health centres can further complicate the search for care.
These challenges cannot be addressed through October campaigns alone. They require sustained community education, stronger referral systems and health services capable of responding when women seek assistance.
A woman who discovers a breast lump in November should have the same access to information, clinical assessment and appropriate referral as one who discovers it during an October awareness event.
Awareness must, therefore, be linked to the availability of diagnostic services. Encouraging women to seek screening without ensuring that they can access follow-up investigations risks creating anxiety without resolving the underlying problem.
The pathway from the first consultation to diagnosis and treatment should be clear, coordinated and as affordable as possible.
Awareness must translate into access to treatment.
The WHO’s Global Breast Cancer Initiative seeks to reduce global breast cancer mortality by 2.5 percent annually, with the aim of averting 2.5 million deaths by 2040. Its approach rests on three pillars: health promotion for early detection, timely diagnosis and comprehensive breast cancer management.
The initiative demonstrates that improving outcomes requires more than telling people to get checked. It requires health systems to connect awareness with diagnosis and effective treatment.
Making every month count
The challenge is to transform the enthusiasm generated during October into a sustained national programme of breast cancer education and care.
Workplaces, schools, churches, community groups and healthcare facilities can provide platforms for regular education.
There is also a need to address the misconception that breast cancer is inevitably fatal. Although outcomes depend on the cancer’s type, stage and available treatment, early diagnosis followed by effective treatment can substantially improve the chances of survival.
Fear should not prevent women from seeking help, and a cancer diagnosis should not be viewed as the end of hope.
At the same time, public education must be honest about the challenges patients face.
Awareness without accessible services is insufficient, just as treatment facilities cannot achieve their full potential if patients arrive when the disease is already advanced.
The two must progress together.
As October ends, Zimbabwe should resist the temptation to pack away breast cancer awareness along with the pink ribbons and campaign banners.
The disease will not wait for the next awareness month to return. Women will continue to notice symptoms, families will continue to face difficult diagnoses and patients will continue to need support throughout the year.
The real measure of a successful October campaign is not how visible breast cancer becomes for a few weeks, but whether its lessons continue to influence decisions long after the month has passed.
Breast cancer awareness must be a year-round commitment, backed by accessible services, timely diagnosis and effective treatment. Because saving lives requires more than raising awareness once a year; it requires making that awareness count every day.
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