Breast Cancer Awareness Day. Prevention is key in Puerto Vallarta

The celebration of World Breast Cancer Awareness Day is taking place on October 19. One of the seven suspicious cases with a BI-RADS 4 finding that have been documented in Puerto Vallarta so far in 2022, according to Dr. Jaime Alvarez Zayas, director of the Eighth Health Region, has been confirmed. This shows how much more people are becoming aware of the value of mastographies.

Dr. Zayas emphasized that the breast cancer awareness campaign typically kicks off at the end of September each year. Puerto Vallarta is one of the communities in the health jurisdiction that this campaign’s mobile mastographer passes through. In order for women to obtain treatment in a timely manner, this is a method of identifying as many cases as possible.

The doctor spoke about the statistics, stating that only seven cases with a BI-RADS 4 classification (suspicious finding) have been recorded and sent to the Cancer Institute of Jalisco for follow-up; some cases were even discovered in the campaign “Hazlo Por Ellas” (Do it for them), set up at CPS Media.

He considered that in order to make an anomaly simple to spot, awareness of this disease should be encouraged all year long, not only in October. For instance, it is advised to self-examine while taking a bath when you are having your period. It is time to visit the doctor if you notice any lumps, malformations, or color changes in your mammary gland.

A mastograph 365 days a year

Furthermore, Dr. Alvarez Zayas emphasized that the Regional Hospital of Pueeto Vallarta has a digital mastographer and offers exams for no charge every day of the year.

“You can make an appointment on a digital platform, choose the time, and use our other fixed, very high-quality digital mastographer from Monday through Sunday. The process is completed fast and expertly, and the platform allows for results monitoring.”

In this regard, he commented that although there is no Oncology Hospital in Puerto Vallarta, the Cancer Institute of Jalisco does have the necessary treatments for women.

Hospital Joya will build an oncology hospital

Puerto Vallarta and Bahía de Banderas will have an oncology hospital, according to Dr. Armando Joya, director of Joya Medical Group, who said construction would begin within a month’s time.

    We have just completed the executive project and, fortunately, we have also obtained the required permits to begin building the first oncology hospital not only in this region, but also in a large portion of the western part of the country. We are speaking of a complete hospital where radiotherapy will be delivered using one of the country’s few linear accelerators. Those in need of therapy must currently go to other cities such as Guadalajara, Queretaro, or Mexico City.

In addition, chemotherapy, surgical treatment, and, most importantly, support groups will be offered. The facility will be developed in Mezcales, with the first stone set to be laid in November of this year and completion in 2024.

Since there are few oncology centers in the country, the goal is to provide coverage to Puerto Vallarta, Bahia de Banderas, and Colima

Psychological support is essential for women

The psychologist Gabriela Rodrguez Trejo said that, regrettably, when a woman is given a breast cancer diagnosis, the first things she considers are death, the sense of loss, and a variety of other feelings and emotions that signal the start of the mourning process.

Given that the individual with the diagnosis is dealing with a variety of emotions that affect different parts of their body, the family is crucial in providing assistance. As a result, accompaniment becomes crucial to advancing in prognosis, diagnosis, and treatment.

Because of the numerous challenges they face, including the necessity of going through numerous checkups and mastectomy procedures if one or both breasts have to be removed, professional accompaniment is crucial. Psychological treatment and support groups are also vital.

She said that support groups are quite helpful as well, adding that Puerto Vallarta has a number of associations as well as official channels for professional assistance. She believed that losing things like hair, brows, and even the breasts is a difficult and unpleasant process.

“For many people, this aspect of the feminine role involves the breasts, losing them, and many of them even handle it as mutilation. Seeing oneself mutilated generates an important impact, and more because it somehow affects in some situations the aspects that have to do with sexuality for many reasons.”