Cancer treatment boosted as many patients diagnosed at stage one

The growing number of Kenyans seeking early cancer screening is helping improve detection rates, with more patients now being diagnosed at stage one compared to previous years when many presented at advanced stages of the disease.

Medical experts say the shift towards early diagnosis is strengthening the fight against cancer, giving patients better chances of successful treatment and survival before the disease spreads.

They have attributed the progress to increased public awareness and improved access to screening services, urging more Kenyans to embrace regular medical check-ups.

Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital (KUTRRH) Chief Executive Officer, Dr Zeinab Gura said early detection, timely diagnosis and access to appropriate treatment remained central to reducing cancer-related deaths.

Speaking during the commemoration of Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2026 and the launch of the National Cancer Treatment Guidelines at the hospital, Dr Gura said screening was increasingly helping identify cancers before they progressed to advanced stages.

“Early detection gives patients a better chance of successful treatment and survival. We must continue encouraging people to come forward for screening rather than wait until they develop symptoms,” she said.

She said breast cancer accounted for about 25 per cent of all cancers diagnosed among women, making expanded screening and timely referral essential.

Dr Gura said KUTRRH had strengthened its cancer management services through its Comprehensive Breast Care Centre, which offers screening, diagnosis and treatment planning.

She added that the hospital was working towards establishing a dedicated liver centre to improve specialised care, research and patient outcomes.

The hospital CEO called on county governments and other stakeholders to intensify public awareness campaigns, strengthen referral systems and ensure patients could access medicines and modern treatment technologies.

Meanwhile, Dr Abdirahman Hargura, a consultant hepato-pancreatico-biliary (HPB) and liver transplant surgeon warned that liver cancer remained a silent killer, with many patients seeking medical attention only when the disease was advanced.

He said it was the 16th most common cancer in Kenya, with major risk factors including excessive alcohol consumption, hepatitis B and C infections and liver cirrhosis.

Dr Hargura, who is also a lead in liver surgeries, including liver cancer tumours, expressed concern that some patients, particularly young men, were presenting with liver masses measuring up to 20 centimetres.

“Treatment remains inaccessible to many patients. We need a centre of excellence where patients can access screening, diagnosis, specialised treatment and follow-up care,” he said.

Cancer survivors Lucy Njeri and Agnes Ndungu also urged Kenyans to embrace screening, saying early diagnosis and locally available treatment had given patients renewed hope.

By Muoki Charles