Fully accredited breast units are a must in the fight against cancer

Helen Muscat is the president of the breast cancer support group Action for Breast Cancer Foundation. As a breast cancer survivor herself, together with the other members of the foundation, Muscat is lobbying for the inclusion of a fully accredited breast clinic to be included in the oncology clinic being built opposite Mater Dei.

Muscat was diagnosed with breast cancer five years ago in May. Following the trauma of a mastectomy her prognosis was good. So much so that chemotherapy was not even recommended.

“I decided to leave nothing to chance as the cancer was close to my chest wall. Following a discussion with my oncologist I embarked on six sessions of chemotherapy to be sure the cancer did not come back.”

Follow up clinics here in Malta leave a lot to be desired. A simple physical check up and maybe some bloodwork if the patient begs for it is not enough to monitor the possible return of this fatal disease.

“The quick physical and maybe some change in medication every six months did nothing to convince me that everything was OK and that the cancer was gone for good.”

When Muscat started to experience pain in the neck, she went to see a neurosurgeon who suggested she had a MRI. This revealed a small slipped disc but Muscat was not convinced that the pain she felt in her neck, arms and hands, pins and needles and occasional headaches she was experiencing could all be attributed to the minimal displacement of a disc.

When her radiologist agreed that there were too many symptoms for it to be just a slipped disc she was referred to a neurologist and a physiotherapist, though nothing untoward was detected.

When the pain became unbearable she went to see a chiropractor who seemed to find the source of the problem and after a few adjustments, the pain went away.

Muscat was thrilled that they had found the source and that she was pain free… so much so that she decided to go ahead with a surgical implant of a prosthesis, which went ahead last November.

“Everything went well. I had my own shape back. There was some pain but I considered this to be normal following the surgery.”

The pain gradually got worse in the area on her back over the ribs. She contacted the plastic surgeon, who immediately ordered an x-ray and ultrasound, which showed no abnormality.

As the pain got progressively worse it was recommended she have a bone scan.

“I decided to go one better and get a PET scan done. It would be quicker and more accurate.”

Muscat went to St James hospital to get the PET scan done privately. She and fellow breast cancer survivor Esther Sant had been considering doing one since being introduced to the investigative procedure during a Breast Awareness Course at the Private Hospital in January.

Muscat and Sant had their scans done together for moral support, and while Sant’s scan was clear, Muscat’s revealed that the cancer had returned in her cervical vertebrae, sternum, ribs, liver and chest wall.

Despite the devastating news Muscat remains optimistic. She is currently undergoing chemotherapy. This news of the returned cancer has spiked further enthusiasm in lobbying for an accredited breast unit to be set up as part of the new oncology unit being set up opposite Mater Dei hospital.

“Follow-up clinics are not providing the service we need to detect the silent killer. I can’t help but wonder how my prognosis might have been different if it was detected earlier. Regular bone scans are a must for cancer survivors, with PET scans being preferable.”

Esther Sant feels the same way about follow up clinics. She says that they “shouldn’t have to beg for investigative treatments. This is not something we take lightly. Detecting cancer early is a matter of life or death.”