HER Health Matters: A Call for Change

10/30/2024

By: Brooke Fisher

Breast Cancer Awareness: A Personal Reflection on Healthcare Disparities

As Breast Cancer Awareness Month comes to an end, I reflect on how breast cancer has

affected my own family. Three out of six of my great-aunts have been diagnosed with breast

cancer. Luckily, through successful mastectomy treatments, each of them continues to live their

fabulous lives to the fullest. Although these strong women grew up in St. Lucia, their diagnoses

were discovered after moving to the United States. I believe having access to the U.S.’s

advanced healthcare system, alongside prioritizing annual screening likely improved their

chances of survival. Their stories highlight the profound impact that access to healthcare can

have on cancer outcomes and the importance of annual mammograms and routine screenings.

Having lived in Barbados for the past 21 months, I have seen firsthand, the challenges that

many Bajan women face with accessing timely medical care, especially when it comes to

screenings and treatment. Through my conversations with female patients at public polyclinics

and even at the hair salon, it’s become quite clear that many delay seeking medical care due to

previous experiences with poor healthcare standards in the public system. This lack of urgency

is deeply troubling, as early detection is crucial for increasing survival rates for chronic

diagnoses, especially, breast cancer.

The current healthcare system in Barbados struggles with inadequate resources, which can

delay diagnosis and treatments. In addition, some women have hinted at delays due to financial

barriers, while others express months of waiting for scheduled appointments with specialists.

Even when women can receive a diagnosis, the success rate of mastectomy and other

treatments can be decreased due to the restrictions of surgical and post-operative care in the

country’s public hospitals. It is heartbreaking to imagine that women may be learning that they

have breast cancer during the later more aggressive stages, reducing their chances of

successful outcomes.

Reflecting on my family’s health history makes these disparities more personal. As a medical

student, I have learned about the troubles of treating triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). This

aggressive breast cancer lacks estrogen, progesterone, and HER2 receptors, making it

unresponsive to classical targeted hormone therapies. Evidence-based research has confirmed

that TNBC is notably more common among Black women. Within this population, these women

face an increased risk of rapid disease progression and recurrence. Family history is another

crucial risk factor, especially for women, emphasizing the importance of annual screenings and

early detection.

Unfortunately, the stark reality is that cancer runs deep in my family. However, the quality of

healthcare available in various countries can drastically impact outcomes. My great-aunts,

diagnosed and treated in the U.S., were fortunate to receive timely and effective medical care.

Meanwhile, women in Barbados may not have those same opportunities, leading to the

possibility of increased risks of the feared later-stage diagnosis and complications in treatment

due to the country’s systemic healthcare deficiencies.

Far beyond Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the message of early detection, annual

screenings, and highlighting health disparities remains urgent. Advocacy for higher-quality

healthcare resources and better-quality care should still be stressed especially in countries like

Barbados. Every woman, despite where she lives, is worthy of access to quality healthcare,

timely diagnosis, and life-saving treatments. Breast cancer shouldn’t be seen as a death

sentence based on where one resides.

Let’s unite to bridge these gaps in the healthcare systems and ensure that every woman is

given the best possible chance to survive and flourish after a breast cancer diagnosis. I urge

you to support local initiatives, advocate for change, and continue to spread awareness-

because no woman should ever be left behind in the fight against breast cancer.