By Sharda Bacchus
A total of 107 individuals were diagnosed with breast cancer at the Georgetown Public Hospital, Guyana’s main referral hospital, in just the first eight months of this year.
Cancer is a scary diagnosis and for those most affected, it becomes a journey filled with hospital visits, difficult conversations, uncertainty, resilience and ultimately, hope.
That human side of the cancer experience was brought into sharp focus on Thursday as the Oncology Clinic of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) held a pinning ceremony in observance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
The ceremony honoured patients and survivors whose journeys have taken them through some of life most difficult moments.
The gathering came against the backdrop of a continuing breast cancer burden in Guyana, with the GPHC Oncology Department recording 147 breast cancer cases in 2025 and another 107 cases between January and August 2026.
For Dr Latoya Gooding, Head of GPHC’s Oncology Department, the figures represent more than statistics. They reflect the families and individuals who continue to confront one of the country’s most challenging cancers.
In her opening remarks, Gooding said over the years, breast cancer has been a burden to many families and has been the number one cause of cancer in Guyana.
“We see that breast cancer has been one of the most challenging cancers… I can say there have been a decline in the late stage diagnosis of cancer and that is attributed to a lot of awareness,” she said.
That decline, Dr Gooding suggested, is an indication that greater awareness is beginning to influence how people approach the disease.
The message of early detection has particular significance during October, which is observed as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. According to the Pan American Health Organization and World Health Organization, more than 462,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year in the Americas, while approximately 100,000 women die from the disease annually.
In Guyana, the Oncology Department at GPHC serves as the national treatment centre for cancer, placing the institution at the centre of the country’s response to the disease and making the stories of its patients an important part of understanding the human impact behind the statistics.
At Thursday’s ceremony, patients and survivors shared those stories openly.
Among them was Dr Gina Chin, a 31-year-old breast cancer patient who is currently undergoing treatment. Before giving her remarks, Chin broke down in tears.
As she continued, a colleague stood beside her to offer comfort while she described what the diagnosis had meant for her.
“Just imagine hearing that words that you have cancer at the age of 31. It bought tears to my eyes. It bought a lot of fear, uncertainty, it was very overwhelming. There were a lot of difficult days,” Dr Chin shared.
For a moment, the doctor who is accustomed to caring for others was simply a patient confronting her own vulnerability. Chin stopped between her words to wipe away her tears, but the room responded with encouragement.
“You got this Gina, you are strong,” those gathered told her.
She continued, saying that she remains on her cancer journey, but the support surrounding her has helped her face the disease with a strong heart, a grateful spirit and hope for better days ahead.
For every case recorded by the Oncology Department, there is a person navigating the emotional and physical consequences of a diagnosis, along with family members, friends and colleagues who become part of that journey.
Biomedical Technician attached to the GPHC, Goberhdan Ramoutar, shared his experience from the perspective of a cancer survivor.
Ramoutar is a colon cancer survivor and recalled being diagnosed on Christmas Eve in 2025.
He described the moment as one that suddenly made the future uncertain.
“I sat there and it was a different feeling, I didn’t even know if i had a next day on this earth, an opportunity to wake up to see the sun rise again but after all of that i sat down and said its life and life is not meant to be fair. Its how you prospect it and how you want to accept it and I choose to fight,” Ramoutar said.
His decision to fight became the central message he offered to other cancer patients. “One of my advice to advice to all other cancer patients is to wake up and say this is not the end, there is another tomorrow and you fight,” he encouraged.
Ramoutar also spoke about refusing to allow his diagnosis to bring his life to a standstill. He is a third-year engineering student at the University of Guyana and recalled continuing his studies while undergoing treatment.
“I went and write exams with stample on my stomach I did not give up and if I could do it everybody could do it,” he said.
For Desiree Edghill, a uterine cancer survivor, the journey has involved both victory and profound loss.
Edghill survived cancer, but two years ago she lost her daughter to the disease.
While fighting back tears, she spoke about the ways cancer can transform a person’s life, often in ways that cannot be anticipated when the diagnosis first comes.
“As a survivor I know that cancer can change your life in many ways in ways you never expected but I also know that with faith, medical attention, love and a strong support system it can be life beyond diagnosis.”
Her own experience led her to call for continued education, greater encouragement of screening and stronger support for people facing cancer. Most importantly, she urged people to keep hope.
The stories shared at the ceremony also reinforced the importance of the message that cancer awareness cannot begin only after a diagnosis.
Dr Navindranauth Rambaran, Acting Chief Executive Officer of GPHC, said the Oncology Department appears to have the right combination of staff, expertise, competence and empathy.
But he urged patients and survivors to take their experiences beyond the hospital and become ambassadors in their communities.
The objective, he said, should be to ensure that people are not only responding to cancer when it occurs, but are also becoming more aware of screening and the importance of early diagnosis.
“Because as much as we wish to fight cancer when its diagnose, we also want to diagnose it very early and actually prevent it”
Der Rambaran noted that there are prevention and early-detection opportunities associated with some of the most common cancers, including breast, uterine, cervical, prostate and colon cancers.
“These things can be detected even at the inception, and they unusually take years before they reach to a point where they can actually threaten your life”
As Breast Cancer Awareness Month continues, the message emerging from GPHC was that awareness must translate into action, people must know the importance of screening, recognise that early detection can make a difference and understand that treatment is available.
Source: NEW ROOMS SITE
