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HEALTHY REASONING: Looking For Cancer Is Critical

HEALTHY REASONING: Looking For Cancer Is Critical

By Allan Bucka Jones
Pride Health Columnist

Last month on my radio show, I had as my guest Mary Glavassevich, a Patient Care Manager in Surgical Oncology & Hearing Services at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto. Some time ago Mary, and some of her other Black colleagues, who work in the cancer area of the hospital, noticed that when Black individuals turn up to do tests to see if they had four of the common cancers, breast, prostate, cervical and colorectal, the cancer is most times diagnosed in the later stages. This of course is a problem, as it makes potential treatment of the cancer more difficult. The question then is, why are Black patients coming in so late to be screened? Mary and her colleagues started a process to find out.

The Sunnybrook healthcare workers initiated a project to explore the Black community’s attitudes and behaviours regarding cancer screening. They conducted a survey, focussing on breast, prostate, cervical and colorectal cancers. Analysis of the results revealed a number of influences that impacted on how Black individuals utilize cancer screening. These were identified as, lack of knowledge and awareness, fear and embarrassment, the approach of healthcare providers, the need for culturally sensitive community based education, and the role of family physicians and other healthcare providers in cancer screening.

Focus groups, with Black folks, were then set up to seek depth and clarity regarding the initial survey. Information gathered suggested the following approaches to help Black individuals access cancer screenings earlier: more direct and deliberate approaches to reach people where they work or live; education on why screening is important; presentations done by people of similar background; utilizing local news media and newspapers like Pride News, to communicate with the community; education; reaching people where they are, like in churches, mosques, barber shops, hairdressing parlours, community centres and other organizations; having credible spokesperson from the Black community.

Those of you who read this column regularly or listen to my radio show, will realize that I am not surprised by the outcome of the survey. The results provide ammunition for my ongoing call for a diversity based approach to healthcare across Canada. The bottom line to a diversity based approach to health, is to reach people where they are, physically and culturally. It literally can save lives. How many people have died because by the time they found out they had cancer it was too late? What if they had information on screening, and they were able to do the necessary tests and detect their cancer earlier?

This needs to be part of the political debate in Canada. Engage your politicians. Do not be sidetracked into other issues. For too long our health issues have been placed on the back burner. Let us resolve to change this in 2015. People are dying.

Let me remind you of the critical times to do screening for four common cancers.

BREAST – If you are 40 to 49, talk to your family doctor about your risk of breast cancer, along with the benefits and risks of screening for the disease by doing a mammogram. If you have a family history of breast cancer, it is recommended that you do the mammogram at a younger age.

PROSTATE – Screening recommended for all men 45 years and older. Once detected 90% of prostate cancer cases are treatable. The screening involves a prostate gland examination and a blood test, and should be part of a man’s annual check-up.

CERVICAL – A woman should do her first pap test at age 21 and every two years thereafter. Talk to your doctor about frequency.

COLORECTAL – By age 45 we should consider having a doctor view the inside of our large intestine. Colon or colorectal cancer screening, using the colonoscopy test, is recommended once every 5 to 10 years. Your doctor will be able to tell you the frequency based on your risks for developing the cancer. This cancer is 90% preventable if detected early.

If you have just read this article, you have more than enough reasons to set an appointment with your doctor, to have a screening test done to detect cancer. We are in the New Year…let us adopt a new attitude…Just do it!!!

Allan Bucka Jones is a Health Promoter and Broadcaster. He can be heard on “Allan Bucka Jones LIVE”, Sundays from 3 to 5pm on CHRY 105.5 FM, CHRY RADIO App, www.chry.fm option RDO.to, Rogers Digital Cable 945, Bell Fibe 973 or mobile app TuneIn Radio. You can contact Allan Bucka Jones at allan@jonesandjones.ca.

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