NAIROBI, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Like many people in Kenya, Sperenza Maina went into denial when she was first diagnosed with breast cancer, hiding it from her family for months and delaying important treatment.
As in much of Africa, most cancer cases in Kenya are diagnosed at an advanced stage, when treatment options are limited and families make huge sacrifices by selling assets or borrowing money, according to a World Bank report.
As the country gets wealthier, cancer diagnoses are on the rise; annual incidence increased by almost 30% between 2012 and 2018, data from the health ministry shows.
Women in Kenya often fear seeking diagnosis for some of the most common and deadly cancers in Kenya such as cervical and breast cancer, said Bridget Nyabuto, a doctor at the Nairobi Radiotherapy and Cancer Centre.
Having cancer is not a death sentence, you have to live to tell the story," she said.