Limited access to mammography machines is making early detection of breast cancer difficult in several parts of Ghana, particularly in underserved communities, radiologist Dr Victor Dedjoe has said.

The Chief Executive Officer of Sayo’s Medical Imaging and Diagnostics Limited said mammography machines are currently available in only five of Ghana’s 16 regions, leaving women in several parts of the country without convenient access to breast cancer screening.

He said the shortage often means health workers have to rely on physical examination, which may not detect some breast cancers at an early stage.

“Mammography is the imaging modality that you use in screening for breast cancer. Actually, it's a form of X-ray of the breast with low doses,” he said.

Dr. Dedjoe explained that early-stage breast cancer may not always be detectable through a physical examination, making access to appropriate imaging important for screening.

He made the comments while presenting a mobile mammography van designed to take breast cancer screening services directly to underserved communities.

The mobile unit is equipped with a 3D mammography machine and an artificial intelligence system known as LUNIT to support the interpretation of mammography images.

Dr Dedjoe said the initiative was inspired partly by the number of breast cancer cases encountered at his facility, including patients who travel from northern Ghana for care.

He believes taking mammography services to communities where fixed machines are not readily available could improve access to screening and help reduce delays in diagnosis and treatment.

The mobile approach, he said, would allow women in underserved areas to access screening without having to travel long distances to facilities equipped with mammography machines.

Dr Dedjoe is appealing to corporate Ghana and philanthropists to support the deployment of additional mobile mammography vans across the country.

He said expanding the initiative would allow more women to benefit from breast cancer screening, particularly in communities where access to specialised diagnostic services remains limited.

“Breast cancer, we have to tackle it. It is my wish, my very, very wish, that I will be able to provide, as I grow, as many vans as possible to help in curing this menace,” he said.

He said increasing access to mammography should form part of broader efforts to promote early detection and improve breast cancer outcomes in Ghana.