Cancer survivor wants to smash stigma among Asians

by LAUREN CODLING

A CANCER survivor has urged ethnic minority women to consult their GP if they have health concerns, as a report showed that women from BAME communities face more barriers than white women in seeking help for potential cancer symptoms.

Research published by Cancer Research UK earlier this month showed that BAME women in England were 75-91 per cent more likely to feel “embarrassed” to talk to a GP when compared to white women (eight per cent). Those with a poor understanding of what the GP said were around three times less likely to feel confident to talk in a consultation.

Of the ethnic groups surveyed, Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi women were among those more likely to say they might use traditional remedies. It’s not clear if they would do that instead of, or as well as, visiting a doctor.

Roma Das, 53, was diagnosed with breast cancer in early 2016. Although she is cancer-free now, she is keen to raise awareness and help smash stigmas relating to the disease in the Asian community.

“I want women to visit their GPs,” Das, based in Manchester, told Eastern Eye. “It can be an intimidating experience because you don’t know what will happen, and it can feel daunting, but I have never felt uncomfortable in any experience I’ve had with doctors.

“I would urge women to get themselves looked at and not wait until it is too late.”

The research published by charity Macmillan shows uptake of cancer screening invitations is generally lower in BAME groups than the white population. It also showed cancer awareness and help seeking behaviour among BAME groups was low across all ethnic minority populations.

Cancer is still a taboo subject within Asian communities, Das agreed, although she believes attitudes are improving in England.

On statistics showing the barriers that ethnic communities face visiting a doctor, Das admitted the findings didn’t surprise her.

“I know not every single Asian woman would not feel embarrassed to go to a doctor, but I am aware that it does happen,” she said. “I know there are communities that wouldn’t talk about it.”

She first decided to check for changes in her body after a close work colleague passed away from cancer in 2015. After finding a lump in her right breast, Das consulted her GP. Although Das felt no hesitation in visiting her doctor, she admitted her co-workers’ death was a motivating factor which spurred her on to check herself.

“Goodness knows what would have happened if I had left it – my cancer wasn’t painful and I may not have realised what it was,” she said. “It’s a fact that if I had left it any later, it could have spread to other parts of my body.

“Since I’ve had cancer, I’ve told all my friends to check themselves – it is one less worry to have.”

Now, Das is an active supporter in raising awareness and has participated in a number of campaigns, including Prevent Breast Cancer’s BreastFest in October. She believes more cancer programmes need to be tailored for BAME communities, as well as support groups specifically for Asian individuals. Opening the conversation around health would benefit Asian groups greatly, she said.

“I have achondroplasia (dwarfism), so I have had plenty of challenges in my life,” she said. “I have always wanted people to talk to me about my disability, and I wanted people to ask me questions. It is the same with cancer – I want that stigma to be removed and I want people to be open and feel able to talk about it.”

Cancer Research UK’s head of health and patient information Dr Julie Sharp urged women to consult their doctor if they noticed any abnormal changes to their bodies.

“Making sure ethnic minority women are aware of things that can be done to make a doctor’s appointment easier, such as the use of translation services, will hopefully give them the confidence to speak openly to their GP about any concerns,” she said. “It’s understandable that symptoms can be scary, embarrassing or hard to talk about.

“But doctors are there to help and are used to dealing with things patients may find difficult to discuss. In most cases, it won’t be cancer, but it’s best to get checked.”