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Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
MS Chipo Ndlovu (46) from Hwange is battling breast cancer which experts say is now at an advanced stage after she delayed presenting herself for treatment.
Ms Ndlovu of Gamba Village in Change Ward has been battling the condition for the past four months but has not received treatment as she does not have the money.
She was diagnosed in May this year at Mpilo Central Hospital where she was told to look for money for some tests.
Then, she only had a small lump on her left breast and two months later it burst into a cancerous wound that has spread to the whole breast after she failed to get the money.
Ms Ndlovu said she had ignored the lump thinking it was clotted breast milk since she had just stopped breastfeeding her son, now aged two years.
She is now appealing for help to go for chemotherapy which experts fear could be unhelpful as the cancer may have spread to her lungs already.
A news crew visited Ms Ndlovu at her homestead recently and noticed that the wound has developed and discharges pus and smelly fluids.
“I felt a lump in my left breast and thought it was clotted breast milk since I had just stopped breast feeding my last born son. I later went to St Patrick’s Hospital in Hwange where they referred me to Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo because they suspected it was cancer. I didn’t go to Bulawayo because I didn’t have transport money,” said she said.
Ms Ndlovu, a mother of seven, is one of many that need education regarding breast cancer and how to prevent, treat and manage it.
“I only went to Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo in May and they told me the lump had grown big. They told me it was cancer but could not attend to it because machines were not functioning.
“I went back home to look for money before the lump which had grown bigger, burst early August. I went back to St Patrick’s Hospital where they told me I was at stage four before they once again referred me to Mpilo Central Hospital where I paid about $700 to run some tests. They wanted money which I didn’t have. The wound kept getting worse and it keeps discharging pus and smelly fluids,” said Ms Ndlovu.
She doesn’t know how much is needed to treat her wound.
Some residents from Hwange and Victoria Falls contributed some money towards her transport to and from Bulawayo and medication.
Neighbours suggested that she approach the Social Welfare Department for help but Ms Ndlovu said it took her a while before she could locate the department.
Recently, she visited Mpilo Central Hospital again seeking medical attention but unfortunately, there were no doctors to attend to her as health practitioners were on strike in protest over the alleged abduction of Dr Peter Magombeyi.
Ms Ndlovu said her wound bleeds profusely and she washes it using salt and water, with the help of some neighbours and relatives.
“I’m in deep pain and my fear is that the wound keeps getting worse by each day and would expand to the lungs. I’m appealing for help from well-wishers so I can go for treatment. As we speak, I don’t even know how much is needed for treatment because I was not effectively attended to at Mpilo Central Hospital.
Some have advised her to consult traditional healers. “I have even consulted an inyanga but it didn’t work at all. It’s my wish that Government makes cancer a national crisis like HIV/Aids and introduce a cancer levy the same way we have an Aids levy so that people can access treatment,” she said.
Ms Ndlovu has joined home-based care clubs for moral support.
Mpilo Central Hospital clinical director Dr Solwayo Ngwenya said most cancer patients present late for medical examination.
He said the referral hospital’s machine broke down and efforts are being made to resuscitate it.
“Our machine is being fixed and may be up in a fortnight once the battery has been sourced. Our main worry is that people take time to present themselves. It’s important that people go for early screening and also present early because in most cases, they come to hospital when the cancer is no longer treatable,” he said.
This comes at a time when the country is preparing to join the rest of the world in raising awareness on breast cancer in October amid concern about citizens’ lack of information about the disease.
Indications are that hundreds succumb to breast cancer because they are not informed about the need for early screening hence they present late, when their conditions are difficult to manage.
October is breast cancer awareness month, stretching from October 1 to October 31, marked in countries across the world every year to increase attention and support for the awareness, early detection and treatment as well as palliative care of the disease.
This is an annual international health campaign to increase awareness of the disease and to raise funds for research into its cause, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide, although it also affects men.
Causes of breast cancer are not known hence early detection of the disease remains the cornerstone for control.
If detected late, however, curative treatment is often no longer an option. In such cases, palliative care to relieve the suffering of patients and their families is needed, experts have said.
Matabeleland North Provincial Medical Director Dr Purgie Chimberengwa said chemotherapy becomes useless when there is metastatis, a condition whereby cancer would have spread to other body parts.
He said only palliative home-based care is now necessary for Ms Ndlovu.
“If it’s at stage four, nothing much can be done except palliative care which includes wound care and pain management. The patient should also get psychological care and the family should be prepared for any eventuality,” said Dr Chimberengwa.
He, however, said surgeons have the final say upon assessing the degree of the cancer.
Using salt and water can be a home-based method of reducing infection on the wound.
“People should self-examine their breasts and any mass they feel should be presented at health centres for examination. If they are advised that a tissue or body part is to be removed, they have to make that conscious decision as refusing to do so may have drastic results,” added Dr Chimberengwa.
The province has no specialist surgeons and pathologists so cancer patients are referred to Bulawayo.
A home-based care giver Mrs Trinity Chipembere appealed to all women to share information about cancer whenever they gather.
Ms Ndlovu’s husband, Mr Shupani Sibanda said the past few months have been hard for the family, both financially and socially as everyone became concerned about her condition.
Change Ward Councillor, Ishmael Kwidini, said few spouses especially men endure long enough for their partners who have such conditions.
He commended Mr Sibanda for standing by his wife saying this was important as it keeps her emotionally stable.
According to reports, about 1,38 million new cases are detected while about 458 000 deaths from breast cancer are recorded worldwide each year. The majority of deaths are in low and middle-income countries where most are diagnosed in late stages due mainly to lack of awareness on early detection and barriers to health services.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) promotes comprehensive breast cancer control programmes with early detection strategies as the awareness of early signs and symptoms and screening by clinical breast examination in demonstration areas recommended. — @ncubeleon
Online Reporter