New breast cancer genes found in black South African women

1 Views

Wits University researchers have identified two new breast cancer genes in black South African women.

This discovery marks a major step in understanding how the disease affects African populations.

Genetic factors play a role in roughly 30% of breast cancer cases in South Africa. This highlights the urgent need to invest more in genomic research focused on African ancestry.

A disease often detected too late

One of the lead researchers, Dr Mahtaab Hayat, said the discovery marks a major step toward identifying unique risk factors in African women.

“These genes have not been associated with breast cancer before,” she said. “They could help explain part of the disease burden we see in black communities.”

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in South Africa and the most common cancer among women globally.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) reported that breast cancer diagnosed 2.3 million women in 2022 and killed 670 000 of them.

The WHO’s Global Breast Cancer Initiative aims to reduce global breast cancer mortality by 2.5% annually. Potentially preventing 2.5 million deaths between 2020 and 2040.

For many in South Africa, especially in rural areas, delayed diagnosis and limited healthcare access remain major barriers to survival.

Hope for future prevention

Wits University researchers believe their findings may pave the way for more targeted screening and prevention programmes tailored to the needs of African women.

They hope that, through more research and greater public awareness, early detection will become a reality even in South Africa’s most remote communities.