Christmas call to care: Why early cancer screening cannot wait

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OPINION

By Dr Andrew Kwiringira

Cancer is silently becoming Uganda’s most urgent health challenge. According to the Global Cancer Observatory, over 35,000 new cancer cases and more than 24,000 cancer-related deaths are recorded every year in Uganda.

Alarmingly, more than seven out of every 10 cancer cases in Uganda are diagnosed at late stages when treatment is difficult. Consequently, 4 out of every 5 people diagnosed do not live long after their diagnosis in Uganda. Yet amid these realities lies a hopeful truth: early screening saves lives.

Flowers are sweet, chocolates are thoughtful, and dinner dates are wonderful, but imagine telling your partner, “Instead of a dinner date, how about I take you for a cancer screening?”

Now that is real commitment. Nothing says I want a future with you like prioritising each other’s health. And of course, after the screening, you can still enjoy the dinner, this time with peace of mind and organs ready to celebrate responsibly.

When detected early, most cancers are far easier to treat and are associated with better survival outcomes. Across the world, data consistently show that when cancer is detected early, survival rates are much higher. For example:

• Early breast cancer has survival rates above 99%
• Early cervical abnormalities can be treated completely
• Early colorectal cancer is one of the most treatable cancers
• Early lung and prostate cancers respond far better to treatment than late-stage disease

Late-stage cancer often requires intense treatment, multiple rounds of chemotherapy, radiation, major surgery, long hospital stays, and extended recovery times. These treatments take a toll on the body and the mind. Early-stage disease, by contrast, often requires minimal intervention: smaller surgeries, fewer treatment sessions, lower doses, shorter recovery.

Cancer treatment is expensive, and late detection multiplies the cost. Treatment requires extensive interventions, long hospital stays, and costly drugs. Recently, the media has been awash with heartbreaking stories of the deceased being withheld in private hospitals until families clear huge medical bills. These tragic scenes reflect the crushing financial impact that delayed diagnosis can have on communities. Families lose savings, sell land, take loans, and sometimes still fail to meet the costs. Screening is a small investment that can save families from catastrophic financial loss and save lives in the process. All of this reinforces one important truth: the earlier we screen, the better our chances of avoiding such devastating outcomes.

Cancer screening is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Each person’s risk is shaped by age, family history, genetics, lifestyle, and past medical conditions, meaning the right time to screen can vary from one individual to another. This is why one of the most important steps you can take for your health is simply to speak with a healthcare professional who can guide you on what screenings are appropriate for you. Whether it is breast, cervical, colorectal, prostate, or lung cancer, the key message is the same. Do not wait for symptoms. Yet even with clear guidance on who should be screened and when, access to screening remains a major challenge for many Ugandans.

Despite the proven benefits of early detection through screening, Uganda continues to face barriers at multiple levels. At the individual level, low awareness, limited perceived risk, fear of pain, stigma associated with cancer screening, competing life priorities, and widespread misconceptions contribute to low uptake. At the health system level, critical obstacles such as a shortage of trained health workers, inadequate diagnostic infrastructure at low-level health facilities. Many people must travel long distances for cancer screening, and weak referral and follow-up systems further hinder screening services.

Rotary in Uganda has played an important role in bridging some of these gaps through community outreach, awareness campaigns, and supporting access to screening services. As the cancer burden continues to rise, there is an urgent need for more partners, private sector actors, civil society organisations to complement government initiatives by expanding community education, strengthening screening capacity, and addressing the bottlenecks that keep Ugandans from accessing early detection services.

The writer is a member of the Medical Committee of the Rotary Cancer Run.
PhD Fellow & Senior Epidemiologist, Ministry of Health
Rotarian, Kitende Breeze