In a darkest hour, supportive amigas

Members understand each other in fight against breast cancer

Julia Castañeda remembers feeling alone after she was diagnosed with breast cancer more than a year ago.

A breast cancer support group for Spanish speakers at Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center helped erase that feeling.

"We know all the pains. We counsel each other," Castañeda of San Diego said after a recent group meeting. "We talk about everything."

Castañeda, 41, got through several rounds of chemotherapy, radiation and a lumpectomy with help from the group.

"There's women there who when you meet them can say, ‘I know that felt horrible but it's going to get better.' It's helped me a lot."

The Spanish-language support group meets Mondays at the medical center and draws eight or nine regulars. Participation is free.

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among Latinas and the leading cause of cancer death among them, according to the American Cancer Society.

Latinas have lower rates of breast cancer compared to non-Latino white women but are less likely to be diagnosed at the earliest stage compared to non-Latino white women. Delayed follow-up of abnormal screening results may contribute to this difference, according to the American Cancer Society.

Sharp Chula Vista's Breast Cancer Patient Navigator Program has bilingual staff that help connect Spanish-speaking cancer patients with services and act as their advocates.

Program coordinator Angiolina Mohi, who is bilingual, said patients are taught to engage their doctors in discussions about their condition and treatment. Latino immigrants are less likely to do this for cultural reasons, she said. In Mexico, for example, "what the doctors say, you do," she said.

"We've learned to respect them like that," she said. "Here, doctors have a different idea. They're working with you. They want you to be a part of it."

Mohi helps translate for group members who attend a Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center class called "Meet the Pathologist," where patients ask questions about their diagnoses and receive assistance reviewing their pathology reports for free.

"The goal is for people to understand their disease and to understand the characteristics of their disease, which will allow them to have a conversation with their doctor, namely their oncologist, so they can play a role in their healthcare-making decisions," said Dr. Omid Bakhtar, the Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center-affiliated pathologist who holds the classes every two months.

Castañeda, who is healthy now, said she continues to attend the support group's weekly meetings to learn more about her disease and help others who are struggling with their condition.

Raquel Fernandez, 54, also a member of the support group, said she feels the same way.

"When you speak to someone who has lived with cancer it's different," Fernandez said. "There's a connection."

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