As Guyana observes Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation is encouraging patients to take full advantage of the services offered at the Oncology Department.Every year, dozens of women are diagnosed with breast cancer at the GPHC, some of whom eventually die.The month of October is dedicated annually to raising awareness of the deadly disease.Hemwattie KanhaiUnder the theme, “Together we fight,” this year a number of Non Governmental Organizations as well as various health institutions have organized several events to mark the occasion.These include breast cancer awareness walks put on by the Ministry of Health and the Avon Breast Cancer Foundation.Breast cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer among Guyanese women, second only to cervical cancer. It can affect women of all races.Recognizing the importance of curing this deadly disease, the GPHC, some years ago, started an Oncology Department, to offer persons chemotherapy treatment.Chemotherapy (chemo) is a treatment with cancer-killing drugs that may be injected into a vein or orally. The drugs travel through the bloodstream to reach cancer cells in most parts of the body.‘Chemo’ is often given after surgery to reduce the risk of breast cancer coming back.Although the Oncology Department at the GPHC is manned by only two nurses,Wholesale Stitched Jerseys, the facility treats a ‘considerable’ amount of cancer patients on a monthly basis.Head of the department, Sister Chandrawattie Singh explained that when a cancer patient visits the health institution they will be examined by a doctor at the Surgical Clinic of the public hospital.“After the patient visits the doctor and the diagnosis is made,Cheap NFL Jerseys China, the doctor may do surgery to remove the breast and then the patient would come to us for chemo. There are a number of chemo cycles; it depends on the patient’s condition.After the chemo sessions, the patient has to revisit the doctor and then they might have to do radiation at the Cancer Institute of Guyana because GPHC does not offer that form of treatment,” Sister Singh said.Radiation therapy uses high-energy particles or waves,NFL Jerseys Supply, such as x-rays, gamma rays, electron beams, or protons,NFL Jerseys Outlet, to destroy or damage cancer cells.The Cancer Institute of Guyana is a private entity which came into existence in 2006 via a collaborative effort between the Government of Guyana through the Ministry of Health to detect and treat cancer.For this month, the only cancer institute in Guyana will be offering free mammograms.Nurse Singh advises cancer patients to “fight for their lives.” She said, “Sometimes you might want to give up on life but don’t, just continue to fight we are here to give you that push you need.”Meanwhile, a 51-year-old woman who never heard the word “breast cancer” before was diagnosed with the disease late last year. Her illness was at stage two.Hemwattie Kanhai,Cheap NFL Jerseys China, a mother of three who spent most of her life in Corentyne, Berbice had her mastectomy done at the public hospital early this year. While relaxing in a chair with her husband by her side at the Oncology Department, the mother of three quietly took the third of four chemo sessions.The devastated woman explained to this publication how her life has changed significantly.She stressed that in November last she felt a lump in her left breast but thought it was just an “old age pain.”According to the woman, she continued doing the things she did before until the pain became worst.“I went to different doctors and none of them could have tell me what was causing the pain. One of my relatives came from Canada and she advised me to do a mammogram and that was when I found out I had cancer,” Kanhai stressed.She immediately joined the clinic at GPHC where she had her surgery done and is in the process of doing her chemotherapy.“I lost weight and I lost my hair. I couldn’t do the chores or anything,” she told this newspaper almost in tearsKanhai’s next visit to the doctor will determine what progress she has made thus far.