Anatomic Pathologist Professor Patrick Kafui Akakpo has raised an alarm over the rising prevalence of cancer in Ghana.
He attributed the trend to shifting disease patterns, changing lifestyles, environmental exposures, and a lack of proactive prevention.
He emphasised the need for early detection, vaccination, and healthier living to curb what is fast becoming a national health burden.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Monday, October 6, Prof Akakpo explained that Ghana is witnessing a significant transition from infectious diseases to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) with cancer now playing a central role.
“Infectious diseases are declining as we become more affluent and better at managing them,” he noted.
“But at the same time, we’ve adopted a lifestyle that is foreign to us more sedentary, less exercise, and a diet that doesn’t reflect our traditional foods. This lifestyle promotes cancer.”
Prof Akakpo stressed that palliative care helping patients live comfortably with cancer is essential but often misunderstood.
“That’s the point where people panic,” he said. “And when fear takes over, outcomes worsen. That’s when you hear all the horror stories about cancer.”
He pointed to a worrying paradox: while Ghana is becoming more westernised, access to key health interventions such as vaccinations has lagged.
“Take cervical cancer, for example caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). The solution is simple: vaccination. But many are still not getting vaccinated,” he lamented.
“The same goes for Hepatitis B, which can lead to liver cancer. Our rates of infection are high, but vaccination coverage is not where it should be.”
However, Prof Akakpo welcomed the rollout of the HPV vaccine this October in Ghana and noted that Hepatitis B vaccination at birth has been ongoing, predicting a decline in related liver cancers in the coming years.
Prof Akakpo outlined the most prevalent cancers among Ghanaians:
- Women: Breast cancer (most common), followed by cervical cancer.
- Men: Prostate cancer leads.
He also highlighted a rise in:
- Gastric and colon cancers
- Oesophageal and liver cancers
- Leukaemias and lymphomas (blood cancers)
- Brain tumours
- Bone and soft tissue cancers, especially in children (e.g. osteosarcoma)
“Every organ in the body can develop cancer. It all comes down to whether cells escape the body’s control mechanisms and become immortalised.”
Genetics and race, he said, play a significant role. African men are at a higher risk of prostate cancer, and in some cases, this risk is hereditary.
“Some genes fail to recognise and remove rogue cells. This is why some children develop cancers like retinoblastoma a genetic eye cancer at a very early age.”
Similar genetic links are seen in breast, ovarian, endometrial, and colon cancers, affecting both males and females.
“Black people generally have a lower risk of breast cancer,” he said, “but when it does occur, it tends to be aggressive. That’s why early detection is so crucial. If we wait until mid-stage, outcomes are poor.”
While genes matter, Prof Akakpo stressed that the environment plays an even greater role in cancer development for most people.
He identified several environmental and lifestyle factors:
- Diet: Modern, refined diets often lacking vegetables and fibre increase the risk of bowel cancer.
- Smoking: Despite regulations, second-hand smoke is common. “Smoking is linked to many cancers, especially lung cancer,” he said.
- Occupational hazards: Exposure to chemicals and materials like asbestos raises cancer risks for factory workers and labourers.
- Infectious agents: Beyond HPV and Hepatitis B, viruses like Epstein-Barr and HIV also increase cancer risk, particularly for lymphomas and other immune-related cancers.
“Many people do not have a genetic predisposition to cancer,” he explained, “but still develop it because of constant exposure to environmental and lifestyle risks. These are more potent simply because we live with them every day.”
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