Cancer de Mama Clinic: Hope After the Pain
Tara A. Spears
The La Penita Cancer de Mama Clinic provides a vital service to those struggling to cope with breast cancer. For the last two years more than 520 Mexican women attend
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in Mexico. According to the Mexican health agency, there has been only a slight decrease in death rates since 1995, indicating limited survival improvements in Mexico due to early detection screening and adjuvant therapy. In fact, the five-year breast cancer survival in Mexico during the 2000s was close to 60%, a much lower figure than that observed in developed countries.
Despite the existence of official recommendations for breast self-examination and mammography since the early 1990s, screening coverage has been very limited. Breast cancer cases continue to be detected by women themselves in 90% of instances and therefore they seek health care at an advanced stage. ” Medical treatment for the uninsured has only been in existence since 2004, when the Seguro Popular was approved by the Mexican legislature with the objective to ensure health care for all Mexicans who lack insurance coverage. Still, the small mountainous communities that are common in Nayarit are far from main medical centers.
A round of applause goes to Jackie Jackson who came up with the idea of providing prosthesis to Mexican women- who ever dreamed that from that first mini-clinic for 14 that the idea would take hold, being embraced by so many beautiful, beautiful women from three nations? It takes so much year round effort to obtain the required material; so many caring hands to organize, cook, set up, and so many brave women who come with hope to the clinic. It is not just about the bras and the boobs; it is about sharing hope from volunteer to participant, making friendships that that cause all of us to look forward to next year.