Women urged to do routine breast self-examination
“Your breast is on the chest. Every morning you can stand in the mirror and touch them while you look at them,” tipped Dr James Kafeero, head of the Clinical Services Department under the Community Cancer Services Division at UCI. "If you do not check your breast regularly, it will be difficult to know that you have a swelling that is painless.
Women aged from 35 and above are advised to have a mammogram test once a year. A mammogram helps to look at the tissue in the breast and discern what abnormal tissues that are there.
Experts have advised women to routinely check their breasts for any signs of cancer, with the Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI) setting out to push for breast self-examination.
And there is reason for the call. In a crowd of 100 women, over 95% of them are at risk of getting breast cancer compared to one in 100 men.
“Your breast is on the chest. Every morning you can stand in the mirror and touch them while you look at them,” tipped Dr James Kafeero, head of the Clinical Services Department under the Community Cancer Services Division at UCI.
"If you do not check your breast regularly, it will be difficult to know that you have a swelling that is painless.
Kafeero said the ideal time for women in the reproductive age (15 to 49 years) to examine their breasts for any signs of cancer is between the fifth and tenth day after the menstrual period.
“This is the time when your breasts are painless, the swelling has gone down, and you can examine them without discomfort."
Women aged from 35 and above are advised to have a mammogram test once a year. A mammogram helps to look at the tissue in the breast and discern what abnormal tissues that are there.
Mammogram machines are increasingly available even in upcountry settings.
Addressing a press conference on community cancer services at the Media Centre on Friday, Kafeero said women who have already hit menopause can choose a day in every month to examine their breasts.
This was part of the activity to mark October as the Breast Cancer Awareness Month under the global theme “Every story is unique; every journey matters".
“In this month, we increase screening, we increase education, but especially we remind the public about the gap that is there to fight breast cancer,” said Kafeero.
Kafeero said the ideal time for women in the reproductive age (15 to 49 years) to examine their breasts for any signs of cancer is between the fifth and tenth day after the menstrual period.
How to conduct a breast self-exa
You can do a visual inspection to check for any changes in your breasts in front of the mirror.
You can use three positions: with arms at the side, arms above the head, and arms on the hips.
During the visual inspection, you should look out for changes in color and skin texture, redness, swelling, venous pattern, dimpling or retraction, and nipple discharge.
Kafeero cited symptoms and signs of breast cancer as including;
▪️a lump
▪️swelling in the breast
▪️swelling in the armpit
▪️change in breast size
▪️skin dimpling (changing to an orange-peel skin appearance)
▪️nipple inversion or sunken nipple
▪️spontaneous single nipple discharge, especially when bloody
Who is at risk?
According to Kafeero, age is an important risk factor in developing breast cancer. “The older one grows, the higher the possibility of developing breast cancer."
There is also a breastfeeding dimension to this.
“Breastfeeding for about two years is the best way a woman can protect herself against breast cancer. Breastfeeding helps to reduce the levels of the estrogen hormone in the body. The practice changes the makeup of the woman’s breast cells, thus making them more resistant to cancer,” explained Kafeero.
Unhealthy foods also puts you at increased risk of developing breast cancer.
A diet high in processed and fast foods, which are typically fried, is known to predispose people to developing cancer, including breast cancer. This kind of poor diet is linked to weight gain and obesity, which are major risk factors for all non-communicable diseases, including cancer.
Leading a sedentary lifestyle can increase one’s risk of developing breast cancer, with people encouraged to be physically active so as to reduce their risk.
Breast cancer burden
Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death among women.
In 2025, UCI recorded a total of 935 new breast cancer patients, an increase of 18% from the previous year.
Data from the institute reveals that in 2025, a total of 8,764 new cancer patients were recorded, up from 7,943 new patients in 2024, hence translating into a 10.3% increase. Of those, 45% were male and 55% female.
Breaking down the total number of recorded new patients by age distribution, adults accounted for 91% while children contributed only 9%.