Dr Cameron Wilkinson, the Medical Chief of Staff, Dr Hazel Laws, the Chief Medical Officer and Dr Retna Walwyn-Browne who is responsible for community based services were the special guests on ‘Working for You’ on Wednesday.
The panel discussed the ways to mitigate the dangers and risks Breast Cancer causes. Breast cancer is the term used to describe the presence of lumps, abnormal cells or tumor cells present in affected breast. Dr Wilkinson listed the types of breast cancer one may get with them being lobular cancer which affects the doctor lobular units and ductal cancer which affects the ductal unit. One may get breast cancer irrespective of the size of the breast.
Breast cancer varies about 19 per hundred thousand in Eastern Africa, 89 per hundred thousand in Europe and in developing countries 40 per hundred thousand. In territories like Jamaica it is documented as 43 per hundred thousand and locally in our federation from 2010-2015 we have had 102 new cases of breast cancer, an average of 17 women each year within the age group of 50-59 followed by 40-49.
Breast cancer is known to be more prevalent in white than blacks although the death rate amongst blacks is higher because the cancer is said to be more aggressive. The panel listed the causes of breast cancer such as family history and age. Chemotherapy and Radiation therapy is used to kill any cancer cells in the breast and to control the distant cells. Dr Laws stated that the Oncology center at the JNF Hospital will be opened shortly at a date to be announced.