Early detection remains one of the most powerful tools in the fight against cancer. Yet in many resource-limited settings, including Ghana, patients often present at late stages due to limited access to screening.
Mrs. Adwoa Bemah Boamah Mensah, Associate Professor at the Department of Nursing, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), is tackling this challenge through research and community-driven innovation.
Mensah, a recipient of the Beginning Investigator Grant for Catalytic Research (BIG Cat), is leading efforts to improve breast cancer screening and awareness in Ghana. The BIG Cat grant is jointly administered by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), the African Organisation for Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC), and the U.S. National Cancer Institute’s Center for Global Health.
Raised in Ghana and based in the Ashanti Region, Mensah has witnessed the toll of cancer firsthand. Her early experiences as a registered nurse, coupled with a reported 92% rise in breast cancer cases in Ashanti between 2023 and 2024, fuelled her focus on oncology nursing and research.
“My work seeks to understand the sociocultural and systemic factors that delay diagnosis and worsen survival outcomes,” she said.
Her research began with the NIH-funded Ghana Breast Health Study and expanded through her leadership of the Kumasi Cancer Registry. She has since conducted participatory studies on how traditional beliefs and community dynamics influence cancer care-seeking behaviours.
Mbreastcheck: A Mobile Health Innovation
In response to low breast self-examination rates and widespread misconceptions, Mensah led the development of Mbreastcheck, a mobile health application supported by a 2022 BIG Cat grant funded by Takeda. The app delivers multilingual, culturally adapted education to promote early detection.
A survey of 914 rural women showed high mobile phone ownership (98.2%) but limited knowledge about breast cancer. Many cited spiritual misconceptions and barriers such as shame, cost, and distance from health facilities. Encouragingly, 93% said they were willing to use a mobile app for health education.
Mbreastcheck integrates behavioural theory and oncology expertise to provide personalised tutorials and information in local languages. Early results suggest women with greater self-efficacy were more likely to practise breast self-examinations. The app also engages community leaders and survivors to rebuild trust in healthcare.
Beyond technology, Mensah is strengthening Ghana’s oncology research ecosystem by mentoring young researchers at KNUST and collaborating across institutions.
“The BIG Cat grant was transformative,” she said. “It enabled me to move from identifying barriers to designing solutions.”
She has called for long-term investment in young researchers, supportive policies, and mentorship to foster context-specific studies.
Prof. Mrs. Mensah envisions a future where every Ghanaian woman, regardless of income or location, has access to life-saving breast health information. She believes digital tools such as Mbreastcheck, when grounded in research and cultural relevance, can reduce stigma, combat misinformation, and improve outcomes.
“Digital care, informed by research and aligned with local context, can improve cancer care outcomes,” she said.
Story adapted from AACR Grantee Spotlight: Adwoa Mensah’s Mission to Improve Breast Cancer Screening in Ghana. By Janet Mosugu
