As the world continues to battle the rising incidence of breast cancer, a Ghanaian researcher, Stephen Opoku urges the need for cutting-edge approaches and new therapeutics to treat aggressive breast cancer that do not respond to standard treatments.

With a background in Medical Laboratory Technology and a current Research Fellow at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Opoku is exploring the emerging field of cancer neuroscience, a new research area that is transforming the way cancer is understood and treated.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women globally, with over 2 million new cases diagnosed each year. Early detection and treatment can prevent the spread of breast cancer, but our body’s own factors like blood vessels supply cancer with nutrients to promote its growth.

The emerging field of cancer neuroscience focuses on how nerves promote cancer growth. In his own words: “breast tumors are wired with a chunk of nerves that drive tumor growth and spread to other organs.” His ongoing research at UAB is investigating different ways to target nerves within breast cancer.

This will offer new treatment option for breast cancer. As an expert in diagnostic sciences, Opoku’s research also aims to identify diagnostic biomarkers in cancer neuroscience, that can be used to monitor breast cancer progression. His research will change the way breast cancer is treated. 

Opoku's research journey, which spans his work at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and the Kumasi Center for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR) in Ghana, has played an important role in the discovery of diagnostic biomarkers that has been used to monitor the progression of several diseases such as HIV, COVID-19, diabetes and pregnancy associated complications.

His research has led to over 30 research papers in top medical journals, highlighting his expertise in diagnostics research. Opoku's outstanding research achievements have earned him notable awards, including the esteemed Blazer Research Fellowship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Opoku's extensive research experience fuels optimism in his potential to make groundbreaking discoveries in the coming years, as his dedication and expertise continue to push the boundaries of scientific exploration.

His expertise in cancer neuroscience presents a promising avenue for hard-to-treat breast cancers, offering new hope for innovative therapies. He believes that the future of cancer care lies in neuroscience-driven therapies, which offer new hope for millions of breast cancer patients across the world.