The Tribune

By CELESTE NIXON

Tribune Staff Reporter

cnixon@tribunemedia.net

MINISTER of Health Dr Perry Gomez officially re-launched the Breast Cancer Programme at the British Colonial Hilton yesterday.

Partnering with Susan G Komen for the Cure, Dr Gomez said the government is seeking to increase awareness and education about breast cancer in the Bahamas and reduce the number of people affected by it.

He said: “Recognising the urgency of action, the Ministry of Health determined the need for a focused breast cancer programme.

“As we lacked the resources to engage in the type of research necessary to fight breast cancer, the ministry entered into a public-private collaborative effort with Sunshine Insurance/Marathon Bahamas, and the Susan G Komen For The Cure organisation.

“This partnership brings to us the ability to be involved with a programme whose goal is increasing early detection of breast cancer and reducing mortality through improved awareness, increased clinical resources, and research.”

Breast cancer in the number one cause of death among women in the Bahamas, said Dr Gomez.

More than 40 per cent of those who die of the disease are under 50.

Research shows that inherited breast cancer is found in 23 per cent of all the women tested, compared to three to five percent in the US.

Dr Gomez said early detection is therefore key to combating the disease.

According to Dr Gomez, over the next five years the programme will focus on establishing a minimum age for breast cancer screening, recommending breast cancer screening guidelines, initiating provider and public education, developing with oncologists a training programme for medical providers, reviewing current drafts of medical and nursing Acts in relation to the breast cancer initiative, reviewing educational resources offered by Susan G Komen for the Cure with the possibility of adapting them for use in the Bahamas and reviewing the utilisation of existing mammography machines.

“It is our hope that the whole Bahamas, inclusive of policy makers, health planners, health care providers, NGOs, clients, family members, students, teachers, insurance and all others will work to advance the programme and breast health for all men and women,” he said.

Additionally, Dr Gomez announced, as promised in the Charter of Governance, the government is in the process of acquiring to two new digital mammography machines. The first is expected to arrive at Princess Margaret Hospital by September 21 and the second delivered to Rand Memorial in Grand Bahama in early October, he said.