By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net 

THE Bahamas Breast Cancer Initiative Foundation is hoping to raise at least $150,000 this month for research and support for its education outreach programme in the country. 

After discovering that the Bahamas ranks highest in the world for prevalence of certain genetic mutations related to breast cancer, activists and researchers have raced to explore the extent of this and are inching closer to developing a plan to address the matter through testing.  

During a conference at the Cancer Society headquarters yesterday Islay Thompson, a genetic counsellor at BBCIF, said: “When the last genetic counsellor came to the Bahamas, we began doing genetic testing for women who were affected with breast cancer. Since that time in 2012 we’ve tested 2,100 women. We are continuing to test women. Currently the prevalence of the BRCA mutations in the Bahamas is actually the highest that we’ve seen in the world.

“Our mission is to test as many women as possible to determine what that prevalence is precisely so we can determine whether to continue population screening for unaffected women or whether we should focus our genetic testing on women who are indeed infected with breast or ovarian cancer. At the moment we have about 390 results that we’re waiting to come back and at that point we would be able to definitely say what we think the population prevalence is in the Bahamas and where we should focus our next efforts.” 

Researchers believe the gene mutation related to breast cancer seen in 27 per cent of Bahamian breast cancer patients is likely caused by the country’s shallow gene pool and small population. 

Fifty to 85 per cent of women with the gene mutation are at risk of developing breast cancer, while 20 to 40 per cent of such women are at risk of developing ovarian cancer. 

Melissa Major, executive director of BBCIF, is optimistic that the foundation will acquire the money it needs to meet its goal of conducting important research but acknowledged the difficulty it will face. 

“I hope that we raise enough money to complete the research but at the end of the day it’s going to take partnerships and a commitment from the community so it’s not just us, but the entire community has to chip in,” she said. “Breast cancer affects us all. Even with as little as $5 you can make a donation. So far we’ve tested over 2,100. We have 391 more results to bring in and the cost of that is over $80,000 and that’s why we are so pushing for this October, for the $150,000, so we can do the 2,100 and the research doctors are able to make a decision in terms of what our next step is going to be so we can set it from a public health standpoint.

“$150,000 is to keep us going for now, but long-term it’s going to take quite a bit of money. But it’s not just the research but we need education materials as well.”

As people around the world recognise breast cancer throughout the month of October, BBCIF will partner with The Tribune Media Group and other organisations to raise money and awareness about the disease. 

Said Ms Major: “The biggest fund-raiser for the month, we’ve produced our 2015 calendars with breast cancer survivors and we have our calendars for a donation of $20, which you can get here at our office. Also, we have October Saturdays in which we’ve partnered with AML foods.

“Every Saturday we’ll be at one of the locations at Cost Rite and (various Solomons locations), where we will have our calendars, all of our BBCIF paraphernalia and people who could answer questions about genetics. We have a pink box initiative where companies have purchased a pink box with our logo on it, their logo on it and they have it in their stores for the entire month of October and their customers are allowed, of course, to make a donation.

“Radio House (whose stations are part of The Tribune Media Group) has also partnered with us and during this month you’ll hear the 12 lovely ladies (photographed in the BBCIF calendar) on the air talking about facts and myths about breast cancer and just raising awareness and education.”