As Breast Cancer Awareness Month kicks off, new global health data underscores the urgent need for expanded access to early detection services, particularly in lower- and middle-income regions. In 2025, updated figures from Saint Lucia’s Ministry of Health National Epidemiology Unit confirmed that invasive ductal carcinoma—the most prevalent form of breast cancer, which originates in milk ducts and can metastasize to other parts of the body—remains the top cause of cancer-related deaths among women globally, as well as a leading driver of premature mortality.
Data from the World Health Organization (WHO) reinforces this picture, indicating that breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women worldwide. However, the organization’s latest research also highlights stark gaps in survival outcomes that correlate directly with national income levels. According to WHO estimates, only 41.9% of women diagnosed with breast cancer in low-income countries will survive at least five years post-diagnosis, compared to 87.3% of women in high-income nations.
The WHO attributes this dramatic disparity to two key systemic issues: widespread late detection of tumors and unequal access to timely, high-quality treatment. Against this global public health backdrop, Saint Lucia is leveraging Breast Cancer Awareness Month to expand public access to free breast cancer screening services through its Universal Health Coverage programme (SLUHC), with the goal of boosting local early detection rates and closing survival gaps.
The no-cost screening services covered under the SLUHC initiative include comprehensive physical examinations, patient education on breast health, 3D mammography, follow-up ultrasounds when clinically indicated, and all steps of the biopsy process—from needle procurement and procedure to laboratory processing of biopsy samples. These services are available at a wide network of facilities across the country, including community wellness centres, district polyclinics, the Dr Betty Wells Urban Polyclinic, the Dr Martin Didier Polyclinic, and major referral hospitals. Following a referral from a primary care provider at a local wellness centre, patients can access free mammography services at the Millennium Heights Medical Complex and St Jude Hospital in Vieux Fort.
Health providers emphasize that breast cancer often develops without obvious symptoms in its early stages, when it is most treatable. When symptoms do occur, they may include a new lump or thickening in the breast or underarm, changes to the size, shape or contour of the breast, skin dimpling, redness or pitting of the breast skin, changes to the appearance of the nipple, or unusual nipple discharge that may be clear or bloody.
Public health officials are encouraging all eligible women to take advantage of the free screening services, and are urging members of the public to contact their local community wellness centre for more information about eligibility, locations, and scheduling.