British cancer patient praises Hamad hospital team

As the world observes the World Cancer Day today, Doha resident Patricia Upton, who was diagnosed with breast cancer on January 9 last year has described the news of her diagnosis as ‘terribly daunting’.The theme for the day is “‘debunk the myths’. “The two tests I was prescribed showed negative results, but my radiologist, Dr Essam at the Hamad General Hospital’s (HGH) Breast Unit, insisted I had a biopsy to be 100% sure. The biopsy results were positive, and confirmed that I had a small tumour that hadn’t shown up in the mammogram. The news was terribly daunting,” Upton, a British school teacher here, recalled.Two weeks later, she was scheduled for a bilateral mastectomy following immediate reconstruction. However, Patricia feels lucky to have been diagnosed in Qatar and according to her, the doctors were experienced and comforting and she received high quality treatment right from diagnosis.“My team of doctors at Hamad General Hospital and National Centre for Cancer Care and Research, including Dr Ambika, and my clinical nurse specialist Cathie McKirdy, made me feel safe and cared for. “They were very supportive and are invested in the health of every person they see. To receive such personalised, high quality medical treatment in Qatar shows the level of commitment that Hamad Medical Corporation has in providing safe and effective medical care”, she explained.McKirdy remembers how upsetting Patricia found the news that she had cancer and explained that Patricia was not alone in this. “It is always a shock to receive a diagnosis of cancer; you never think it will happen to you. Patricia was very upset and this is understandable. She needed support and thankfully there is a team of highly dedicated healthcare professionals working in cancer care across HMC and we work together to ensure every patient gets the best possible outcome,” she noted. There are a number of common misconceptions about cancer and the aim of the World Cancer Day is to help people understand the facts, so they can minimise their risk of getting cancer, understand signs and symptoms and find the support they need. Four different myths have been identified as militating against cancer prevention, which are: We don’t need to talk about cancer; cancer…there are no signs or symptoms; there is nothing I can do about cancer; and I don’t have the right to cancer care.“The myths being highlighted this World Cancer Day can be dangerous and I think it is important that everyone takes some time today to get to know the facts about cancer,” McKirdy said adding: “Cancer can affect anyone; however, I am glad that, when someone receives this frightening diagnosis, the team at HMC is there to support them.”    According to her, none of the myths is entirely true. “For the first myth; talking about cancer means better understanding and better social acceptance of the disease, therefore it is necessary. “For the second myth; there are signs and symptoms of many cancers and awareness of these can help save lives, as early stage cancer is a lot more treatable. “For the third myth; cancer is indiscriminate so you can never be immune to it, but there are plenty of ways to reduce the risk, for example, by eating healthily, taking regular exercise and avoiding tobacco products. And to address the fourth and final myth; in Qatar everyone has the right to cancer care.” More information about the cancer myths can be found at World Cancer Day website: http://www.worldcancerday.org/