Successful restart to Cancer Society Outreach

by Jerry George 25.MAY.07

The attentive and highly participative audience which gathered at the Biabou Health Centre last Saturday May 19, had their questions answered and concerns addressed by the members of the SVG Cancer Society when they held the first of their revived community outreach programmes.{{more}}

Although the promoted feature presenter of the afternoon, Dr. Malcolm Samuel was delayed due to an emergency at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital, the hard working and influential Staff Nurse Herona Bute, who along with her colleagues organized the event for the district welcomed the gathering and introduced the President of the Society, Dr. Sherian Slater who engaged the audience of more than 60 persons, most of whom were females, on the subject of cancer of the breast and cervix.

She stressed the importance of early detection and treatment options including regular medical check-ups, pap smears and breast self examination.

Dr. Slater highlighted the fact that more and more persons are being diagnosed with cervical cancer below the usually recommended age for beginning pap smears which is 20 years.

One of the older audience members, Granny Eureka Glasgow, suggested that this was because “The young people today lance too early”. Dr. Slater therefore encouraged the young females present to have their pap smears done once they have started having sex.

Secretary of the Cancer Society, Patsy Wyllie who is also the Chief Health Educator at the Ministry of Health, made a presentation on the role tobacco has been proven to play in the development of lung cancer. She then outlined why it is important to desist from smoking or being in an environment that is contaminated by cigarette smoke.

Wyllie then gave a brief outline of some of the activities the Ministry of Health would be engaging in to observe World No Tobacco Day.

When feature presenter Dr. Malcolm Samuel arrived, he made his multimedia presentation on the subject of Colon Cancer which has been the area of focus of the Society for the current quarter.

He too stressed the importance of the role of medical checkups and diet in the prevention and treatment of any cancer. Dr. Samuel in his recommendations to the audience suggested that they use less red meat, because they have a high fat content, use more high fibre food in moderation, and be tested for colon cancer at 50 years and over.