In 2020, breast cancer was the number one cause of cancer deaths amongst women in Papua New Guinea. In the last 10 years, the incidence of breast cancer in PNG had doubled to more than 12 per 100,000 population. Infact, studies in PNG have shown that 40% of women with breast cancer are below the age of 40.
On average, the direct medical cost of managing one patient with breast cancer in the public health system of PNG in 2023 was K24,994.71 (US$ 7248.47). There is growing evidence now to show that there is an increase in women with breast cancer presenting from rural areas of PNG. In a recent study conducted in Alotau Provincial Hospital, 61.5% of women with breast cancer were from rural areas of the province.
Most women who present late to our provincial hospitals face barriers such as cultural beliefs, geography, stigma,
community neglect and lack of financial independence. Even if women do present to our provincial hospitals, biopsy turnover for results often take up to 5 months. The burden is further compounded by the lack of hormonal, chemotherapy and radiotherapy services in the country.
Radiotherapy in particularly, reduces local relapse of breast cancer lesions. In PNG, radiotherapy services have been non-existent, especially after the country’s only radiotherapy machine became non-functional in 1998. According to the Global Task Force on Radiotherapy for Cancer Control (GTFRCC), radiotherapy can save nearly 1 million lives per year by 2035 with a net macroeconomic benefit of up to US$365 billion over a 20-year scale up period.
Provincial Health Authorities must implement the 2015 National Cancer Control Policy that will focus on priority cancers, develop hospital base cancer registries, strengthen human resources and equip health systems to support
improve cancer control. The development of a “Womens Health Bill of PNG” is also important to avoid corporate fraud, in that money raised under the banner of breast cancer is used for the purpose of breast cancer management and not activities that have no evidence of favorable breast cancer outcomes in PNG.
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