Dr. Tayeb Hamdi, a physician and researcher in health policies, shared some statistics on breast cancer in Morocco, highlighting the fact that 11 women die from it every day.
In Morocco, breast cancer is the most common of its kind, as more than one cancer in 5 diagnosed in men and women is breast cancer (22.6%), and approximately 4 cancers in 10 diagnosed cases in women are breast cancers (38.1%).
The expert says that 34 cases of breast cancer are diagnosed per day in Morocco, amounting to 12,000 cases per year.
Unfortunately, 11 women die from it every day, giving a total of 4,000 deaths per year.
Breast cancer’s prevalence spreads all over the world, making it the most common cancer in the world. In 2020 2.26 million cases and 685,000 deaths were registered.
Breast cancers are now in first position among cancers, overtaking lung cancers and claiming many lives.
Fortunately, breast cancer is among the diseases that have the best diagnosis if detected and treated early with as few complications as possible and almost normal recovery.
If diagnosed late, the treatments, complications, and after-effects are heavier, and recovery is greatly reduced, explained the expert.
The experts advise women to undergo a mammogram every 2 to 3 years from the age of 50 explaining that it is the most effective early detection method to ensure better care.
Teaching women from the age of 25 to self-examine their breasts monthly after their period remains another important way to detect any changes in the breasts to initiate a medical consultation and early diagnosis. For women with risk factors, these examinations are advised well before the age of 50.
It is estimated that one in 10 women will develop breast cancer during their lifetime, and in general one in 25 women will die from it.
Half of breast cancers appear in women who have no specific risk factors other than sex and age, added Dr. Hamdi.