Chief Medical Officer, Sharon Belmar-George, disclosed some harrowing statistics about the mortality rate of breast cancer patients in Saint Lucia. As such, the Ministry of Health is launching an education campaign about the effects of breast cancer on society.

“Globally, there were 2.3 million women diagnosed with breast cancer and 685,000 deaths in the year 2020, making it the most prevalent cancer in the world. In Saint Lucia, breast cancer is the number one cause of death in women and also the main cause of premature death in women,” Belmar-George disclosed.

She adds that these diagnoses are generally made in women with poor health. “Most of these diagnoses are made in women between the ages of 45 to 55. The risk of breast cancer is increased with increasing age, obesity, harmful use of alcohol, family history of breast cancer, history of radiation exposure, et cetera,” she said.

She adds, however, that even healthy women can develop breast cancer. “Approximately half of breast cancers develop in women who have no identifiable breast cancer risk factor, other than being female and over 40 years of age.”

Symptoms of breast cancer include lump formation in breasts, the change in size, shape, or appearance of the breast, and changes in the skin color around the breast. Women are encouraged to visit a doctor to get a proper diagnosis.