Breast Cancer Screening
Breast Cancer in Cuba, as in Canada, is the most common form of cancer among women. In Cuba, diagnosis is usually made when a woman palpates a lump in her breast. By this time, the cancer has likely already spread and a cure is much less likely. Using a mammography to screen an entire at-risk population picks up early cancer while it is still curable by simple surgery.
In 2007, MEMO:Cuba was approached by the new Villa Clara Minister of Health, Dr Padilla, about joining in the fight against cancer in his area. Breast Cancer was selected as a place to begin as there is an effective screening method (mammography) and treatment is relatively simple - lump removal through surgery. Early diagnosis by mammography can reduce the death rate of breast cancer by 30%. The few mammography machines in Cuba were used for diagnosis of lumps, but not for early screening.
MEMO:Cuba agreed to provide the equipment necessary for setting up a breast screening program as a pilot project in the municipality of Placetas (pop. 74,000). The provincial Ministry of Health, MINSAP, donated and renovated a wing of an old hospital being turned into a home for the aged. MEMO:Cuba supplied all of the furniture, examining tables and, most importantly, a relatively new but not digital mammography machine from Timmins, Ontario.
MEMO:Cuba's Dr. Aurora Riera took special training in Santa Clara in reading mammograms and was appointed director of the program. Of concern was the fact that transportation is not readily available to rural women in Cuba so a significant proportion of at-risk women would probably not receive mammograms.
To overcome this problem, the MEMO MOBILE MAMMOGRAPHY PROJECT WAS conceived.
The concept was to build a mobile clinic that could be towed from site to site in rural Placetas municipality.
Marilyn Shaver, and her husband Don, headed up this daunting project.
Volunteers in Thunder Bay obtained an old 18' travel trailer.
The trailer was stripped down to the bare chassis and an additional two feet was welded on the frame. On this, a termite proof cabin was built large enough to house the mammography machine, change rooms and office space. Finishing materials and work was done by Home Depot employees. Electrical wiring was carried out by a local firm Automation now, Flooring by a local company and on and on. Finally a roof air conditioner (very necessary with Cuba's climate) was donated by Frazerway RV of Abbotsford, BC. The project took on an "cross Canada" flavour.
The Thunder Bay Breast Screening bus donated a fairly new mammography machine that was being replaced by a digital machine. The quality of films is the same but digital allows instant transfer of mammograms to doctors' offices for reading. The mammography machine was installed and powered by an external source of electricity. A next door neighbour allowed the mobile clinic to back up to her kitchen door, disconnected her stove and then plugged in the kitchen. Everything worked.
The clinic had been built for a total cost of $3,600. In comparison, a breast screening bus in Canada cost $370,000!
MEMO's mobile clinic would be powered by a Russian tractor once in Cuba. The next hurdle was transportation to Cuba. Because the clinic was oversizse it required special handling from Thunder Bay to Havana. This cost $15,000. The cost was generously covered by Canadians donating to a special fund headed up by the Shavers.
Finally, in April of 2009 the fixed clinic was ready and the mobile clinic had arrived. For start up practice, nurses and staff at the screening clinic were asked to volunteer for mammograms. The first mammogram taken of a clinic nurse showed a previously undetected, non-palpable cancer. This mammogram has probably saved her life.
To encourage Cuban women to come for a mammogram the first 4,000 women will be given a "I ran for the cure" t-shirt. These were donated by a provincial cancer society when they discovered they had them left over after the annual Run for the Cure. In April 2009, Dr. Aurora said in an email to MEMO that the Breast Sceening was going very well and the women were very excited---- about the T shirts!!!
Getting the breast screening program up and running is only the start. Though the Cuban government provides the clinic building and all the staff, MEMO:Cuba has the responsibilty for supplying repair parts,
film and developing chemicals at a cost of about $20,000 a year. This is not cheap! Check out the Donate page to see what just a few dollars can do for this breast cancer screening program!