Associate and former Head of Research at the Cancer Association of South Africa Dr Carl Albrecht says that it is concerning that while breast cancer continues killing women, the cause of the disease remains unknown.
“We don’t really know what is causing breast cancer. It is an international problem. It affects people all over the world. There is no evidence that it is a virus. It is a puzzle! We don’t really understand why it is happening and it is so obvious it is number one in the world. “ Despite the challenges in the fight against the disease, Albrecht says the picture is not all doom and gloom. He says there are some cancers that we do know more about and have measures in place to prevent them and cervical cancer is one of them.
“For instance cervical cancer, and the big challenge there is to vaccinate young girls of the age of about ten with the injection that will protect them against cervical cancer for the rest of their lives and I am very proud to be able to say that South Africa was the first country in Africa, to start the vaccination against cervical cancer.”Breast cancer survivor Betty Nkgweng says there is still information gap when it comes to the disease.