Butaro Level Two Teaching Hospital is reporting a high number of breast and cervical cancer cases, even as health experts note that up to 40 percent of cancers are preventable. Hospital management figures show that out of 23,325 patients admitted, women suffering from breast and cervical cancers account for 48 percent—about 11,500 cases. ALSO READ: Rwanda to introduce vaccine against six cancers Survival rates range between 20 percent and 75 percent, depending on the type of cancer and the stage at which it is detected. Speciose Sinamenye, 47, from Bigogwe Sector in Rubavu District, is among hundreds of women currently receiving treatment at the hospital. She has been admitted for three months after undergoing surgery to remove her entire left breast. “After my breast was removed, I was admitted here and consultations confirmed that I have cancer,” Sinamenye said, adding that she has been at the hospital since August 2025. “Since being admitted, I am recovering and feeling better than before.” ALSO READ: Top 10 most common cancers in Rwanda Leoncia Mukagatana is another patient undergoing treatment at the hospital and is among the recently reported cases at the cancer center. “Consultations at Gisenyi District Hospital showed that I have cancer,” she said. “The cancer is in my breast, but I don’t know how it developed. It just grew inside.” Jean Damascene Uwimana, whose mother is also undergoing treatment at Butaro, called for the expansion of cancer services to more district hospitals to ease access for patients from remote areas. “In the past, we had little knowledge about cancer,” Uwimana said. “Treatment was seen as something only wealthy people who could travel abroad could afford. Today, thanks to this hospital, Rwandans can receive treatment at home. It has made a big difference.” Dr. Cyprien Shyirambere, Director of the Oncology Programme at Butaro Hospital and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Global Health Equity, said women have constituted the majority of cancer patients treated at the facility since 2012. “Among the cancer cases we receive, the majority are women,” he said. “We see many cases of breast cancer, while cervical cancer accounts for nearly half of all admissions.” Dr. Shyirambere noted that survival rates vary widely, depending on cancer type and how early patients seek care. “Up to 60 percent of cancers can be cured if detected and diagnosed early,” he said, adding that the decentralisation of cancer services will significantly improve access to care nationwide. He also urged the public to adopt healthier lifestyles, including regular physical exercise, adequate hydration, maintaining a healthy weight, and eating a balanced diet, as key measures to reduce cancer risk.
