A breast cancer awareness campaign to sensitise persons on prevention and treatment options for breast cancer was on Thursday hosted by the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and the Good Hope Foundation.
The ‘Feel Good, Look Better’ breast cancer awareness campaign was a one day event that forms part of wider activities for breast cancer awareness month.
Dr Shailandra Rajkumar, the Head of Surgery at the hospital, said the oncology department has made significant strides in the management of breast cancer patients.
He said initiatives that give the survivors a chance to tell their story and for persons to become knowledgeable of the disease are necessary in the fight to eliminate it.
“From the time when we could not have made diagnoses early to when we could not manage because we didn’t have chemotherapy to now when we are having more survivors with every aspect of care available down to reconstruction after survival, I think we’ve gotten there.
“Surviving cancer alone is a tremendous effort but I’m sure that no one can say that their families didn’t have a role to play.
“I’ve seen patients and families who are very distraught when they heard of a family member becoming diagnosed with cancer but we have changed in our approach, we have learned to be accepting of it, we have learned to give support and all of that support is responsible for us having so many survivors in this 21st century,” Dr Rajkumar said.
Dr Rajkumar added that from the inception of the oncology department to 2023, there significant strides were made in treatment and recovery of breast cancer patients. He said the treatment and recovery outcomes are encouraging and there is hope for improvements in the management of cancer in Guyana.
The doctor’s assurance was directed to the patients who are diagnosed and seek medical care at the hospital. But partnership is a key element in fighting breast cancer for the hospital.
The Guyana Cancer Society and Ultra Care Medical Centre are among the partners that provide medical care and treatment for cancer patients. Persons can undergo a mammogram to detect the cancerous tumor during its early stages or by use of a biopsy.
Survivor of three cancers, Anna DeMorius shared words of encouragement to the newly diagnosed patients and said that her journey to recovery taught her that cancer is not a death sentence. She said after undergoing several rounds of chemotherapy and radiation therapy, she can attest that treatment is available and recovery is attainable.
Meanwhile the Oncology Registrar, Dr Latoya Gooding said breast cancer awareness has significantly assisted with instilling a sense of urgency for prevention and early diagnoses.
“Over the years, the incidents of breast cancer has been on the rise and while that is a daunting reality, there is a glimmer of hope to the horizon, the fact that late stage diagnosis has decreased, it is a testimony to the power of awareness,” Dr Gooding said.
