Breathe
By Alejandra de Cima
"You have breast cancer in the left breast. Fortunately it is a small cancer, 1.4 cm in situ, that is, still encapsulated and from what we could see at surgery, it has not spread. It is for this reason that the course of treatment I recommend is a radical mastectomy of both breasts, followed by chemotherapy and eight weeks of radiation. At the end of this, we will start hormone therapy for five years with estrogen inhibitors because your cancer is hormone receptor positive". This was what the oncologist said to me when he made an appointment, after having performed a biopsy on my breast, because a few months before, I had felt a painless but stubborn lump, which did not disappear with the vitamins that I had taken for eight months on the orders of my expert gynecologist to make it disappear.
It was a radical medical resolution that never considered my opinion as a patient, nor did it give me the opportunity to intervene in the doctor's one-sided conversation to question the stupid recommendation he was putting to me. It took me two minutes to dismiss his proposal and look for alternatives.
When I shared my case with the doctor in St. Louis Missouri, where I was finally treated, I received stunned looks as the doctors could not believe what they were hearing. Did you agree to this procedure? On what basis did they determine this? I was questioned. I answered that up to that moment, nobody had asked me anything, in fact, I had not even been the first person to know my diagnosis; before me, all my family already knew that in a few hours they would give me the news. Everyone was pretending and smiling, but they were crying inside.
After reviewing my file, consulting the established protocols and discussing with me the treatment possibilities, we decided that my cancer would only be treated with conservative surgery to remove the tumor from the affected breast, followed by 8 weeks of radiation to ensure that no cancer cells remained and finally, 3 years of hormone therapy, a daily pill that inhibits hormone movement. At the end of this, we would give my body time to cleanse itself in preparation for a possible pregnancy. The right breast was never part of the conversation.
It was a decision that took into account my age, the type and size of the tumor, my life plans and my desire to become a mother, as well as my opinion as a patient. One that was also made with a multidisciplinary group of doctors that included a psychologist and a physiotherapist, among several other specialties.
The discrepancies in the way of treating the same cancer are the result of the lack of protocols, criteria and clear guidelines that our country faces in dealing with a medical situation. There is too much room for personal criteria!
A few months ago, the DOF published the intention to cancel more than 30 official health standards, including those for certain cancers. The official norms are the documents that set guidelines for the care of both public and private health institutions. What an insultto the country's progress and what a tragedy for Mexicans! Since we do not have a National Cancer Control Plan that is based on scientific evidence and lays the foundations for controlling prevalence, treatment and mortality, it will be difficult for us to have an impact on the cancer mortality rate. To make matters worse, we also lack a National Cancer Registry that would allow us to understand national patterns and identify the high-risk population in order to direct prevention and early diagnosis programs.
These are just some of the aspects that are projected to be mandatory in Mexico's General Cancer Law.
The Civil Society Work Commission that promotes this Law is made up of 13 organizations in the fight against cancer, and with the support of more than 250 specialists in the field with whom we met on multiple occasions, we compiled the conclusions in a document that we delivered to the Senate of the Republic last October to be converted into the General Cancer Law Initiative. Today, it is being reviewed by the Health and Legislative Studies Commissions, in addition to being analyzed by the Political Coordination Board of the Senate of the current legislature, which has approximately 20 days left before the end of its period of sessions. We hope that before the end of the session, they will have on their agenda the first big step to make Mexico the tenth country in Latin America to have a Cancer Control Law, by deciding to pass it.
This will bring us closer to ensuring that when a Mexican falls ill with cancer, he or she will be protected by a law that will guarantee timely and quality care, backed by internationally verified standards, and that he or she will have a better chance of survival and a better quality of life.
The General Cancer Law for Mexico is a project of all and for all.
*Alejandra de Cima is a student of Art History and International Relations at the American University of Paris, France; she has worked as a broker of graphic art and the promotion of contemporary Mexican art. She is a breast cancer survivor and a philanthropist by conviction. She has dedicated herself professionally to altruistic work from the CIMA Foundation that she created in 2002 and until today, she has directed her work in the fight against breast cancer in Mexico.
The opinions expressed are the responsibility of the authors and are absolutely independent of the position and editorial line of the company. Opinion 51.
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