Breast Cancer Screening at St Luke Hospital

This year, once again on November 13th, a life-saving educational presentation was organized for the benefit of women with the objective to continue to sensitize and educate them about breast cancer. This is the 3rd year in which the breast cancer screening program has been in existence at St Luke Family Hospital. Although, Corona Virus continues to ravage the world, we did not want to miss this opportunity to remind women that breast cancer is still causing many women to lose their lives. By continually educating and encouraging them to come to the hospital immediately when they notice symptoms and abnormalities in their breasts.

The room was beautifully decorated with pink balloons and ribbons which are the representative color of cancer, for the 100 attendees. The presentation was introduced by Dr C. Mathurin with kind words of welcome and a prayer. Dr Pyram, the Head of the Breast Cancer Awareness and Screening Program at St Luke Family Hospital gave a clear and concise presentation on breast cancer. Including the following points;

• the definition and characteristics of breast cancer

• the causes of breast cancer

• how to check and examine your own breasts

• the warning signs and symptoms

• and prevention etc.

After the presentation 20 woman benefited from Sonography in site,So far from March 2017 to September 2020, 3,871 women have been screened for free for Breast Cancer at St Luke Family Hospital, and 201 diagnosed with Breast Cancer and referred for care ( chemotherapy and mastectomy as radiotherapy is not available in Haiti). More than 90 mastectomy surgeries have taken place at St Luke between 2017 and 2018. According to Breast Cancer Agence Internationale "breast cancer was the most common cancer in women in Haiti in 2018. (https://ayibopost.com/le-cancer-du-sein-un-assassin-en-haiti).

Miss Fleurimé, one of our Community Nurses courageously described her story of surviving breast cancer. She gave a lot of advice and hope to the women present. Through dedicated education, awareness and our Medical Team at St Luke Family Hospital, we hope to increase awareness of breast cancer in Haiti and to ensure that as many women as possible come for a diagnosis and treatment as early as possible to give them the greatest chance to survive. The presentation was ended with the sharing of food and an opportunity for people to get to know each other and to ask questions.

At St Luke Family Hospital, we know that we are privileged to be able to provide this life-saving breast cancer program. We could not do this vital work without the support of our donors, friends and partners of the Francesca Rava Foundation. To learn more about breast cancer please click on the link: https://www.who.int/cancer/events/breast_cancer_month/en/