Making breast cancer more manageable, treatable and survivable
Breast cancer remains a leading cause of death in South Africa, with a high percentage of patients diagnosed at late stages. Experts suggest that theranostics, a combination of molecular imaging and targeted therapy, could improve patient outcomes by allowing for more precise treatment plans.
Why it matters
Highlights critical gaps in public healthcare diagnostics and the potential for medical innovation to address high mortality rates in developing regions.
For advanced disease, the aim is to extend and improve life through better treatment choices. Theranostics may become one important part of that future
Facebook X LinkedIn WhatsApp Email Breast cancer is the leading type of cancer in South Africa, as it is globally. It is too often a killer – but the earlier it is detected, the more accurately it can be assessed and the more precise the treatment, the exponentially better the patient’s prognosis.
In South Africa, however, this is too often not the outcome. A comprehensive study into the availability of breast cancer services in the public healthcare sector, published recently in the South African Medical Journal , found that 67% of patients had late-stage breast cancer at diagnosis. In other words, they no longer had primary tumours only; their cancer had metastasised and spread to other parts of their bodies. Their prognosis was poor.
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