THE BREAST SCREENING PROGRAMME of the Barbados Cancer Society is seeking to get an upgraded breast ultrasound machine to improve the screening of people under 35 years and those who have dense breast tissue, says Dr Shirley Jhagroo, chairperson of the programme.
Jhagroo said that since more people under age 35 were being diagnosed with breast cancer other methods of testing needed to be adopted since mammography was recommended for persons over 40.
“With young breasts there is very dense breast tissue, and . . . with dense breast tissue that is where we get a failure rate with the best mammogram machine,” Jhagroo said.
At the ceremony being held at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) office to launch a week of activities to mark the tenth anniversary
of the Barbados Cancer Society’s Barbados Breast Screening Programme, Jhagroo said the ultrasound imaging would be used in addition to the mammograms to ensure the earliest possible diagnosis of cancer.
She said that since mammograms were not given to people under 35 unless they had a family history of breast cancer or there was some other reason, the Cancer Society was hoping to introduce a programme in the secondary schools so that young people would know how to examine their breasts, so that if anything new turned up they would be able to seek advice.
The new piece of equipment had already been sourced at a cost of US$175 000, Jhagroo said, but the funds still needed to be acquired to facilitate the purchase.
Dr Ernest Pate, Caribbean programme coordinator, Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) /World Health Organization, said that the past five years of data for the Caribbean showed that awareness of cancer had increased in people in the 30 and above age group but more cancers were being detected in younger individuals.
He added that even though more cases are being recorded, the mortality rate was on the decline as people were surviving longer as a result of improved diagnostics and increased public awareness. (LK)
PICTURED: DR SHIRLEY JHAGROO (left), chairperson of the Breast Screening Programme, Dr Elizabeth Ferdinand, Dr Ernest Pate and Acting Minister of Health Irene Sandiford-Garner looking at one of the shirts that will be sold to raise funds for the Breast Screening Programme.
