Screening for cancer…Second and third doctors’ opinion should not be offensive

Oct 11, 2017 News

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– Dr. Gooding

“Sometimes nothing can turn out to be something!” This deduction was recently made by Dr. Latoya Gooding when asked to comment on the importance of screening for cancer.
She noted that while screening at times may not detect any worrisome signs or symptoms, persons must develop a consciousness of their own bodies and so help themselves recognise when something is amiss.
According to Dr. Gooding, while screening has been an instrumental tactic in helping to detect cancer, there are times when such measures could fail to provide the accurate result. She noted that once an individual is still concerned about a manifested sign or symptom, seeking a second or even third doctors’ opinion should always be an option.
“We always recommend that you take second and third opinions; it doesn’t hurt to do that and it certainly shouldn’t offend any doctor if a patient wants another opinion,” said Dr. Gooding who has for a number of years been a part of the Oncology Department of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.
Dr. Gooding is also the President of the Giving Hope Foundation which has a dual mission to help combat the scourge of cancer and suicide. Although the Foundation has a year-long agenda to advance its cause, it has been directing even more focus to breast cancer this month in observance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Even as she commented on the fact that screening may not always be reliable, she disclosed that there have been patients who have died because they accepted an initial result that was not accurate.
She spoke of a case where a patient who in fact had breast cancer but was instead merely diagnosed with a breast abscess and was treated for the abscess with antibiotics.

“The patient was going to a doctor ever since she had a tiny lump in her breast but every time she visited, the doctor just kept measuring and administering antibiotics. It didn’t get better in two weeks and so the doctor changed the antibiotics…
“The patient kept going until she realised her condition was not improving,” Dr. Gooding revealed. The woman eventually sought other opinions which determined by then that she had stage three breast cancer.
While important, screening has oftentimes exposed yet another dilemma. According to Dr. Gooding there are many occasions when cancer is detected it is already at an advanced stage. “What we are finding is that more and more persons are coming at late stages, that is, stage three and stage four,” said Dr. Gooding as she amplified the importance of regular screening.
With regular screening, she noted that the possibility of cancer being detected at an early stage is very possible.
However, despite constant appeals for persons to embrace early screening, Dr. Gooding revealed that “it is still very rare to find somebody being diagnosed with cancer when it is stage one.”
She however recalled one instance when a woman, because of regular screening, was able to have a potentially daunting case of cancer arrested at its initial stage.
“The patient, in this case, felt a little pain in the breast and didn’t take it lightly. She went to one doctor who found nothing and then she went to another doctor…Subsequently a biopsy was done and cancer was detected.”
To help detect and prevent cancer from becoming a death sentence, Dr. Gooding said that the Giving Hope Foundation is promoting routine screening.
“Routine screening means that you are being screened even when there are no symptoms but you do your regular twice-a -year check up. You can actually identify cancer in its early stages and once you are diagnosed at an early stage you have a better chance of surviving cancer,” Dr. Gooding emphasised.
The Giving Hope Foundation has been adding to the efforts to encourage persons to be screened. “We go out every month and do screening across Guyana free of charge. We offer pap smear, breast examination, we also offer the prostate-specific antigen, digital rectal examination as well as complementary services such as blood pressure testing and diabetic testing, all free of charge,” said Dr. Gooding.
She emphasised, “Early detection saves lives.”
In addition to its outreach efforts, she disclosed that persons can also benefit from the available services by visiting the Foundation’s headquarters at Ketley and Drysdale Streets, Charlestown, Georgetown on Monday through Friday between the hours of 10 – 3 pm.
While most services will be readily available, Dr. Gooding said that services that require the expertise of a doctor can easily be accessed on an appointment basis.
Meanwhile, Dr. Gooding said that even as the Breast Cancer Awareness Month observance continues, the Foundation will continue to give keen attention to safeguarding children, as far as possible, from the impact of cancer.
In so doing, Dr. Gooding revealed plans for a Childhood Cancer Awareness Walk which is set for Saturday. The walk, according to Dr. Gooding, will commence at 06:00 hours at the Carifesta Avenue entrance of the National Park and will end at Parade Ground.
“All are welcome to come and join us. We are especially encouraging people to bring their children or youths so that they can come out and support the walk so that we can essentially have children walking for children,” Dr. Gooding noted.
Also, on October 26, the Foundation will spearhead its signature ‘Look Good, Feel Better’ event for its cancer survivors. Supporting this venture is the Foundation’s sister organisation, Health and Education Relief Organisation for Cancer [HEROC], which, Dr. Gooding said will bring packages for patients.
“We will also have nutritional talks and we will have makeup artists coming in and doing their make-up, pedicure and manicure too…all this will happen here at our head office,” related an elated Dr. Gooding.
The following day the Foundation will host a candle-light vigil at the Square of the Revolution from 17:30 to 18:30 hours. This latter event, according to Dr. Gooding, will serve to commemorate those who have fallen to breast cancer and those who are still fighting to ensure their survival.
The event, she noted, is also intended to encourage persons, both men and women, that early detection is important.

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