Marie, 56, a breast cancer survivor, has spent more than 9 years of her life battling breast cancer. ”I noticed a lump in my breast some time after a papaya fell on my breast. A biopsy of the mass was performed. The results of the biopsy revealed cancer, she explained on the airwaves of Magik9 during the program Santé9. ”I was panicked because I thought I was going to die. Then I decided to follow a treatment offered at the center of the IHI (Innovaniting Health Institute) which is a treatment center for cancer patients. The diseased breast was surgically removed and Marie received four chemotherapy sessions. ”It was a painful experience for me because the chemotherapy was heavy. I was losing my hair, my nails and I couldn’t eat anymore because I couldn’t swallow anything”. Currently, Marie has completed her treatment and is feeling much better. She has resumed all her activities and is fully functional. She takes the opportunity to educate young women to practice breast self-examination and to see a doctor for any suspicious mass in the breast. “Having cancer does not mean death. Currently with the progress of science, the chances of surviving breast cancer are considerable, do not hesitate to get tested,” she encourages.
In Haiti, there are not many cancer treatment centers. We can cite the Oncology Department of the Mirebalais Hospital (HUM), the IHI center (Innovaniting Health Institute), the Haitian Institute for Oncological Diagnosis (IHDO), the Cancer Treatment and General Surgery Center (C3G ) located in Cap-Haitien, the oncology department of the Saint Damien Nos Petits Frères et Sœurs Pediatric Hospital (NPFS). In addition, the oncology department of the General Hospital has not been operational since 2020.
According to GlOBOCAN 2020 estimates from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a WHO entity, more than 12,000 Haitians would be diagnosed for the year 2020 and more than 9,000 would have died in the same year.
Dr Joseph Bernard Jr, a doctor caring for cancer patients at the IHI center, was invited to the program Santé9 on Tuesday March 22, 2022. During this program, Dr Bernard especially emphasized the need early detection of cancerous lesions in women. “Most patients have masses the size of tennis balls or larger. They sometimes arrive at a very advanced stage of the disease. The IHI Center received for the period from 2015 to 2020, nearly 3,000 cases of cancer, including that of the breast which is diagnosed the most (45%). Several factors contribute to the development of breast cancer. According to Dr. Bernard, for breast cancer, obesity is an important risk factor. Then we find alcohol, excessive use of cigarettes, pollution, exposure to toxic products, oral contraceptives, age of menarche and menopause as well as hereditary factors.
There are several stages in the development of breast cancer. Each of these stages corresponds to a type of treatment. Moreover, still according to Dr. Bernard, nearly 80% of women with breast cancer are over 40 years old. Cases of cancer in 25-year-olds are rare. However, the cases found in women under 40 are more aggressive and progress more rapidly. Denial of acceptance of breast cancer is one of the causes of delayed treatment of the disease. At this level, it is important that psychological support be provided in order to better accept the treatment and overcome denial.
At the IHI, continues Dr. Bernard, we offer chemotherapy and surgery as treatment for our breast cancer patients. Other treatment methods are too cumbersome and too expensive. Patients requiring radiotherapy will have to travel to either Cuba or the Dominican Republic.
Breast cancer is a public health problem given the large number of cancer patients each year in Haiti. Radiotherapy (not available in Haiti) is an essential treatment in the management since it prevents recurrence in many situations. But raising awareness should above all focus on self-examination of the breasts in order to detect masses earlier and thus increase the chances of complete remission after treatment.
–
