Breast cancer survivor urges women to seek early treatment, reject stigma, and keep hope alive

A Breast cancer survivor, Jemima Naana Boateng, has urged women to seek medical attention at the first sign of changes in their breasts, warning that delaying treatment could cost them their lives. Jemima, who spent four months at home after being diagnosed with breast cancer, says she initially struggled to understand the seriousness of her condition because she did not know whom to turn to for information and support. Speaking on Cosmopolitan Mix with Doreen Andoh on Joy FM, she recounted how fear, uncertainty and a lack of knowledge left her inactive for months until she was persuaded to begin treatment. “When I was diagnosed, a lot went through my mind. What is going to happen? This, that, but because I didn’t know who to ask, and I’d not heard anything about it, I just went back home and relaxed,” she said. “I stayed for four months. Four months without doing anything.” Although she tried to improve her diet, Jemima said she did not fully understand the seriousness of the disease until her family intervened. Her treatment journey was far from easy. After doctors reportedly found traces of the disease in her lungs, she underwent chemotherapy, surgery, and radiotherapy. She is also receiving ongoing treatment at home. Despite the physical and emotional toll, Jemima said she eventually decided to focus on recovery rather than worry about how others might perceive her condition. “It has not been an easy journey, but through it all, I decided to choose life. Forget about what people will say and just focus on recovery,” she said. Now, she hopes that sharing her experience will encourage other women to take their health seriously and seek help before the disease progresses. ‘Any change in your breast, go and get screened’ Jemima said women should not wait until they experience pain or other severe symptoms before seeking medical attention, explaining that breast cancer can develop without causing pain. She urged women to visit a health facility as soon as they notice any unusual change in their breasts. “Immediately you see something, any change in your breast, even the slightest thing, just go to any health facility. Everywhere, in every hospital, they are helping out. Just go and get screened,” she said. She said that not every breast lump is cancerous and that medical examinations are necessary to establish the cause of any unusual change. According to her, early assessment can help women access appropriate treatment before the disease advances. “It’s not every lump that is cancerous. Maybe it will just be a little lump that you need just a simple surgery to remove,” she said. Reflecting on her own experience, Jemima warned women against making the same mistake she did by delaying treatment. “If you wait as I waited, I am just living and surviving by grace. Maybe you will not have the same luck as me. So just go and get it checked and then follow the treatment to the letter,” she said. She also cautioned against the misconception that breast cancer affects only the breast, explaining that the disease can spread to other parts of the body. “Before, I felt it was just breast cancer, so it just has to do with the breast. No, they travel. They travel to any part of your body,” she said. She added that raising awareness remained important because many people might not recognise the warning signs or understand the consequences of delaying treatment. ‘Breast cancer is not a death sentence’ Beyond the physical challenges of the disease, Jemima spoke about the emotional burden of receiving a cancer diagnosis, urging patients not to lose hope. She said a diagnosis should not automatically be seen as the end of life, particularly when treatment options are available. “Healing starts from the mind. Healing is in the mind. You always tell yourself what you want to see. They’ve diagnosed you with cancer. That is not a death sentence,” she said. Jemima encouraged patients to seek appropriate medical care, complete their prescribed treatment, and maintain hope throughout the process. She cautioned against starting treatment and abandoning it before completion, stressing the importance of following medical advice. “Don’t start and stop before the next line. You do what you’re supposed to do and leave the rest to God,” she said. For Jemima, choosing to live meant looking beyond the uncertainty of cancer and refusing to allow the disease to define her future. Nine years of waiting for a child, then a cancer diagnosis Jemima’s battle with breast cancer came after years of hoping to become a mother, making the diagnosis even more difficult to accept. She said she got married at the age of 30 and spent nine years hoping to have a child before receiving the news that she had breast cancer. “I battled with having a baby. I got married at 30. I was waiting. I thought I’d done all that I could. You can just name it, for nine years, before expecting to be a mother. Then boom, you have breast cancer,” she said. The diagnosis forced her to confront the possibility of losing the chance to experience motherhood after years of waiting. However, she said she eventually decided to put her focus on surviving and making the most of the opportunity to live. “Emotionally, you can just put yourself in my shoes. But hey, I chose life. And I decided to close that docket. At least God has given me one more chance, another chance to live life,” she said. She added that she chose to live not only for herself but also for other people who might be struggling with similar challenges and need encouragement. In what she described as an unexpected blessing, Jemima eventually had a baby girl at the age of 45, six years after surviving breast cancer. She said the child, whom she described as her pride and joy, had brought her a sense of fulfilment that was difficult to put into words. “One day, I was just there, and God decided to put that smile on my face and say, ‘Oh girl, let me give you a gift, a priceless jewel and an amazing gift.’ I said, ‘Aseda [Thanksgiving]’,” she recounted. Jemima said she welcomed her daughter on 31 December, describing the birth as a reminder of God’s goodness and a new chapter in her life. “Anytime I look at that girl, I see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living,” she said. Her experience, she believes, should encourage women undergoing cancer treatment not to give up on life or assume that motherhood is no longer possible. She urged women to prioritise their health and discuss their concerns about fertility with their medical teams rather than avoid treatment out of fear. “You do what you’re supposed to do. God knows how to wipe that pain and give you the joy he gave to me. It is possible that you can have babies after all the treatment,” she said. ‘Please, stop the stigma’ Jemima said stigma surrounding breast cancer remained a major obstacle to awareness and early treatment, particularly in communities where people fear being judged or ridiculed after disclosing their diagnosis. She explained that some women might choose to suffer in silence rather than risk becoming the subject of gossip in their neighbourhoods. According to her, such attitudes can discourage patients from sharing their experiences and prevent others from learning from them. Recalling her first appearance on Adom TV after her diagnosis, Jemima said a customer once visited her shop and questioned whether she was the woman who had appeared on television. The customer then asked whether it was true that her breast had been removed. Jemima said the encounter illustrated how insensitive comments could make cancer survivors feel exposed and judged at a time when they needed understanding and support. “When people behave that way, it makes it difficult for people to come out and share their stories,” she said. “Please, stop the stigma. Give a helping hand to someone because a lot of people are fighting something silently. Nobody knows about it.” She said the emotional burden of a cancer diagnosis was already difficult to bear and that negative comments could make the experience even harder. “When you add insult to injury, you make it a bit difficult for even the person to survive,” she said. Jemima warned that fear of public judgement could also stop women from seeking medical examinations when they first notice changes in their breasts. She therefore appealed to the public to replace criticism and speculation with compassion, adding that a supportive environment could encourage more women to seek help and speak openly about their experiences. An appeal to husbands and families Jemima also called on men, particularly husbands, to support women diagnosed with breast cancer rather than abandon them during treatment. She said some women faced the additional pain of losing their partners after diagnosis, compounding the physical and emotional challenges of the disease. “Please, I’ll beg everyone, and the men, please help the women. Don’t leave them. A lot of people, their husbands have left them because of breast cancer. They are still human,” she said. She expressed gratitude to her own husband, whom she praised for standing by her throughout her treatment. Jemima said he put his life on hold for two years to support her, describing his commitment as a source of strength during one of the most difficult periods of her life.