Dr. Shirley Hanoman-Jhagroo
The Barbados Cancer Society’s Breast Screening Programme has been able to keep pace with new technologies and techniques being used in the fight against breast cancer, in first world countries.
Medical Coordinator of the Breast Screening Programme (BSP) of the Barbados Cancer Society, Dr. Shirley Hanoman-Jhagroo pointed out the above recently, as she sought to raise awareness about activities taking place during October, which has been designated as breast cancer awareness month.
“At the Breast Screening Programme, we are on par with what is being done in the first world countries. We have the best (mammography) unit. It’s a direct digital, which cost us 1.3million dollars, which we paid for by cash and that was from money donated for the (breast cancer awareness) walks, from corporate Barbados and from donations in the island,” Hanoman-Jhagroo noted.
“After that, we bought an ultrasound machine, which is again top of the line. We also bring in a Caribbean doctor once a month who does ultrasound directed biopsies. So with all these new technologies, we have come a long way (in enabling) early diagnoses,” Hanoman-Jhagroo added.
Noting that the Breast Screening Programme of the Barbados Cancer Society is dedicated to the prevention of premature deaths from breast cancer through early detection, the medical coordinator noted that early detection does make a difference. As such, at the Breast Screening Programme, around 30 to 35 mammograms are undertaken each day. When the doctor comes in from Trinidad however, he is able to conduct 50 to 60 mammograms, as this is his specialty, Hanoman-Jhagroo pointed out.
“So we are saving lives through early detection. People all over the island come through the Breast Screening Programme and we have moved from 10 to 20 diagnoses in a year, to 59 and (the figure for 2016) may be even greater than this,” she added.
“Even though the number of cases diagnosed a year has increased, the mortality (or) the deaths from breast cancer has remained the same, between 9% and 11% , when you take into account the deaths for cancers in Barbados. So it means we must be doing something right,” Hanoman-Jhagroo concluded. (RSM)
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