Breast cancer being detected in younger women

by Anesta Henry

With 189 breast cancer cases recorded in Barbados in 2020, medical coordinator of the Breast Screening Programme (BSP) Dr Stephanie Date is appealing to both men and women to get screened for the disease in order to get exposure to early intervention and treatment if needed.

Speaking during the launch of the 2022 CIBC FirstCaribbean Walk for the Cure, held at Sugar Bay Hotel, Hastings, Christ Church, on Friday, Dr Date said that while there is currently no statistics available for 2021, health authorities are seeing more aggressive breast cancer subtypes being diagnosed in younger females of African descent.

However, Dr Date shared that with the assistance of the BSP’s 3D mammogram machine, breast cancer is being detected at earlier stages.

“We are still seeing people come forward.

Sometimes we get 700 women a month. We are ecstatic that our machine is catching it at earlier stages, so we want to encourage you to keep coming out to our clinic.They might find something, a lump, some scaling of the skin, redness, nipple discharge and a lot of the time we ignore it but we really want you to come forward if you are concerned about anything.

“It is confidential and it’s the best thing that you can do for yourself and your family,” Dr Date said.

The medical coordinator said that even though men account for at least one per cent of breast cancer cases in Barbados, too many men are neglecting the need to have their breast checked, particularly if they notice any form of abnormalities.

Dr Date indicated that as recently as last month, two men visited the BSP to be screened.

“Luckily for men in Barbados, our machine can actually conform to all different sizes of breasts, including men’s. We also want to encourage men to come forward, because men actually can get breast cancer as well. They do and because they are unaware or they might be scared, they wait until it is at a later stage.

“So men, if you examine your breast once a month as well, and you find something, just come and ask us a little question and we will be more than happy to take care of you just like we take care of the women in Barbados,” Dr Date said. (anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb)