7 News Belize

Facing Down Stage-4 Cancer
posted (March 15, 2013)
And while road traffic accidents are the fourth leading cause of death in the country, various cancers account for 11 of the top 50 causes of death in Belize. And while the numbers are alarming, coming face to face with a terminal cancer diagnosis is even more disturbing.

Yesterday, Monica Bodden spoke to a 58-year-old woman facing stage four cancer. She also visited the cancer society that has to deal with many such cases. Here's her report:

Monica Bodden Reporting

And while road traffic accidents are the fourth leading cause of death in the country, various cancers account for 11 of the top 50 causes of death in Belize. And while the numbers are alarming, coming face to face with a terminal cancer diagnosis is even more disturbing.

Yesterday, Monica Bodden spoke to a 58-year-old woman facing stage four cancer. She also visited the cancer society that has to deal with many such cases. Here's her report:

Statistics show that over the past 10 years cancer has been one of the ten leading causes in deaths and illness in the country and that there is an increase occurring.

Ivorine Bulwer - Clinical Director, Belize Cancer Society
"Cancer, it's in one of the 10 leading causes of death and illness in Belize, if you look at the statistics over the past 10 years. The numbers are increasing. I think the numbers are increasing with the number of awareness. Part of the rule of the Belize Cancer Society is to educate and provide information to individuals and the public at large on cancer. And I think that over the years, with that consistency of the Society to inform and educate the public, has created some change in behavior where people are getting check. I think, also, our First Lady, Mrs. Kim Simpliss - Barrow, with her diagnosis 2 years ago, that interest has been increased. People are getting screened. The only unfortunate situation is that quite a number of persons are getting screened, but their diagnosis are often in the late stage."

Cancer begins in your cells, which are the building blocks of your body. Normally, your body forms new cells as you need them, replacing old cells that die. Sometimes this process goes wrong and that is when new cells grow even when you don't need them, and old cells don't die when they should. These extra cells can form a mass called a tumor. Tumors can be benign or malignant. Benign tumors aren't cancer while malignant ones are. Cells from malignant tumors can invade nearby tissues. They can also break away and spread to other parts of the body.

Ivorine Bulwer
"What we are trying to do is to ask individuals, family members, and organizations to support their staff, their partners, and community members; encourage them to get screened - even physicians, to encourage their clients to get screened because quite a number of these cancers, if you check your breast monthly, if you get your pap smear done, you're able to discover changes. Early intervention can then be undertaken, and it's not caught very late because oftentimes when it's caught late, its because their sympthoms - they're experiencing pain, bleeding, and some level of discomfort. At that time, it's at the late stages, and its very expensive. I think that in Belize, when we look at it, our scale, it's so small. So, we can't be focusing on secondary and tertiary intervention. We have to focus on that primary aspect. So, we need to look at the importance of exercising, diet, our males and females getting screened, to know your body. Check your body parts because cancers affect the young persons, the adult and the elder. Getting screened and getting to know your body, cancer can be caught early."

Cancer is not just one disease but many diseases. There are more than 100 different types of cancer. Most cancers are named for where they start.

Ivorine Bulwer
"There are quite a number of common cancers that we're seeing. With the children, we're seeing lukemia, and it's challenge for our parents because our children, they need to go Merida, Guatemala, or to Chetumal for early diagnostic intervention, and they receive follow up care at the Dangriga Cancer Center. Other common cancers that we're seeing are breast cancer, prostate cancer, cervical, intestinal, lung, brain, and testicular cancer in young boys. When you look at these different types of cancer, they're lifestyle related. So, there's the importance of information and education."

Symptoms and treatment depend on the cancer type and how advanced it is. Most treatment plans may include surgery, radiation and chemotherapy.

Ivorine Bulwer
"Fortunately, under the leadership of Dr. Grant and Nurse Delone Pascassio, they are really a blessing for persons who have been diagnosed, and who are unable to pay, and who are able to pay. With cancer, it's devastating to be diagnosed, and with the treatment, the chemotherapy, it kills the cells, so persons, their immune system - their defence mechanism - being compromised and to travel abroad, it's expensive to travel abroad. So, they are able to access that service in country, so that is available. Also the support, you find out that some of these clients are diagnosed at the late stage. There is the Palative Care Service, and also the Cancer Society who provides the support to patients who are affected. We have 2 persons who volunteer, and they go out to do home visits, Nurse August, and Ms. Nina Reneau. They go out and visit these persons who are affected, and you have the Palative Care Service, under the leadership of Dr. Beatrice Thompson. They have support country wide to assist persons who are in their late stage, who need pain management support, and nutritional support."

But for 58 year old Ethel Opuobori, doctors have given up on her. This mother and grandmother have been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. She was first diagnosed with cancer of the cervix 12 years ago and was treated. Just last year - 12 years after- her doctor told her that the cancer has returned and this time has spread to her lungs.

Ethel Opoubori - Afflicted by Stage 4 Lung Cancer
"I will tell you the truth. When I see that I can't bear the pain, I pray. I believe in God. I go, kneel down, and cry. That's the way I get my ease."

Monica Bodden
"Could you even describe what kind of pain you go through on a daily basis?"

Ethel Opoubori
"Sometimes, I have pain the entire day."

Monica Bodden
"You spend hours of your day on oxygen as well, right?"

Ethel Opoubori
"Sometimes half-day, I would have it on, take it off, and if I feel badly, I go and put it back on again, so that I can breathe well."

Monica Bodden
"I understand that at 1 point, you lost 100 pounds in only 3 months."

Ethel Opoubori
"Yes, I lose a lot of weight?"

Monica Bodden
"Why, you can't eat?"

Ethel Opoubori
"No appetite, I can't eat, and it's hard. It's very hard when I see the children eating their food, and I can't eat. But, I leave everything in God's hands."

Monica Bodden
"What happened when you tried eating?"

Ethel Opoubori
"When I try to eat, I have pain sometimes, and sometimes, I don't get the pain."

Monica Bodden
"And food, when you're trying to keep down the food, sometimes you throw up?"

Ethel Opoubori
"Yes, it doesn't matter what I do, anything that I drink, I bring it right back up. Even if it's pills, I bring it up."

Monica Bodden
"Do you experience a lot pain the night time that you can't sleep?"

Ethel Opoubori
"Yes, I toss about from side to side."

Monica Bodden
"Do you experience trouble breathing on your own?"

Ethel Opoubori
"Yes, I experience it because they say that I need to try to breathe on my own, but they don't understand that breathing on your own, it's not just breathing on your own. It's not that I don't want to do it, it's hard."

And even though doctors have given up on Opuobori - she is nowhere close on giving up on herself or the hope of someday being cancer free.

Ethel Opoubori
"I do get frustrated and tired because sometimes I do a lot of work, and I feel very tired, and I am not doing anything. I don't know why I feel tired."

Monica Bodden
"At first, before the illness, did you used to work or anything?"

Ethel Opoubori
"Yes, I used to wash, help in the house; I used to help look after my grandchildren. Now, its hard, very hard."

Monica Bodden
"What are you thinking about?"

Ethel Opoubori
"I think about how I can't take care of my grand-babies, and I can't go to church the way I used to go. I don't know what will happen."

Monica Bodden
"Doctors have given up on your condition here in Belize?"

Ethel Opoubori
"Yes, they've given up on me."

Monica Bodden "How hard is that?"

Ethel Opoubori
"It's very hard because the way I feel is that I was going to die, and I got afraid. One of my church sisters came and talk to me and told me not to feel that way."

Monica Bodden
"You're suffering from Stage 4 lung Cancer?"

Ethel Opoubori
"Yes."

And the Belize Cancer Society provides hope for cancer patients like Opuobori. The Society was first formed in 1996 through the efforts of a brave Cancer educator and activist Juliet Soberanis.The mission of the Society is to establish, promote and further the awareness and treatment of all types of cancer in Belize and to provide support to those affected and their families.

Ivorine Bulwer
"We also want to share with the public that the Belize Cancer Society, if you look at our mission, it speaks to networking, partnership, advocacy, education, and to look at providing evidence-based care. The Cancer Society is very serious about that. So, under the leadership of our president, Mrs. Laura Longsworth, we have embarked on establishing cancer societies in areas where there have not been. Belmopan in existence for over the past 15 years. Now this year, the San Ignacio branch has been established. We're looking at the Benque Viejo branch to be launched shortly. The Corozal branch was launched last year; the Punta Gorda Branch was launched last year. There's a branch in San Pedro. There's a support group in Orange Walk, and it's important because the partnership, we need numbers. We need the information countrywide, and so the Society is quite serious about creating that level of awareness. Also, we look at the Cancer Society, advocating for the full implemention the Cancer Registry, and we're working in close collaboration with Ministry of Health's Epedemiology Unit, under the leadership of Dr. Aisha Andrewin. So, we're getting there with Cancer Registry. That is so important for policy direction and planning. It's important for us to the type of cancers, and some detailed information about the various cancers to better plan and to establish policy direction. Cancer is not a death sentence. Consider it a challenge in your life, and we all will have challenges in our lives. So, embrace it, and move on. You need support, contact the Cancer Society. You need support; we have the support group. So, members of the support group are there to give additional support. We have our visiting team of 2 who go out and give support to you. Just call on them, and they will be there. And also, I want to say to those who have survived cancer. It's important to appreciate that cancer can re-occur, hence, it is important to maintain healthy lifestyles, a healthy body weight, exercise, and eat well."

Despite the prognosis, the Opuobori (Opu-berry) family is seeking help for her abroad. They are hoping to raise at least 13 thousand US dollars to take her to a cancer center in Los Angeles California. One fundraising venture is a barbqe sale tomorrow.

You can place your order at telephone number 6-3-0- 0-2-0-6 or if you would like to make donations you can do so to her Atlantic Bank account at number 2-1-1-3-9-5-1-4-0.

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