A joint breast cancer awareness and screening clinic held at Kuru Kururu, Linden Highway on Sunday was deemed a success after four ‘suspected’ positive cases were identified.
The Oncology Department of the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) teamed up with the Ministry of Public Health and the Cancer Institute of Guyana (CIG) to give the residents an opportunity to know their status and seek early treatment if required.
Oncologist of the GPHC, Dr. Latoya Gooding told Stabroek News that the patients who were diagnosed at the outreach were referred for further testing for confirmation of their condition.
Making the initial diagnosis, she said, “Is a plus for us because we are trying to promote early detection.”
She was pleased with the turnout, which she said was “more than we expected. A lot of people came after church. We tried to do it as a collaborative effort and it was successful.”
The outreach was organised as part of the activities for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. But the team did not limit the exercise to breast cancer alone and conducted screening for cervical cancer through Pap smears and others.
Pleased that some men were also present, Dr. Syed Ghazi, Outreach Director of the CIG decided to treat some of them to a free screening for prostate cancer.
Among those who benefited was 84-year-old James Daniels.
He told this newspaper that that was the first time he had the test done.
“I never had it in (my) thoughts to go and do the test. It’s only because they come here I decide to come out and I’m happy I get to do it,” he said.
One woman told SN that she was grateful that the team came to the area because “women’s health is very important, as well as men’s.”
She said too: “They made it easy for us to get the service because we wouldn’t want to go to town just to do the tests. But when they come here we are compelled to come out.”
Another patient, Joseph Walker told this newspaper that the outreach was “an excellent idea because a lot of people are not familiar with the different types of cancers and the treatments that are available.”
He said too that “many people here come from poor background and cannot afford to go to town. I think that these clinics should be done more often around the country…”
According to him, “A lot of people hear about cancer but they don’t know how important it is to get checked early.”
Dr. Gooding started the outreach by sensitising those present about signs and symptoms of cancers and their effects. She also did a demonstration on how to conduct breast self-examination.
Meanwhile, Dr. Ghazi said he was pleased for the collaboration with the Oncology Department because it is important to join forces in the fight against cancer.
As Outreach Director, he also saw the need for more campaigns to be held in outlying areas where women are more at risk and cannot access facilities for testing.
He also encouraged other women as well as men to get screened early because cancer can strike anyone at anytime.
