Sygnus donates $450,000 to cancer society
SYGNUS CREDIT Investments (SCI) last Friday gifted the Jamaica Cancer Society with a donation of $450,000 to cover the fees for 100 women to do a mammogram screening, in order to assist with the early detection of breast cancer.
Although the awareness of breast cancer tends to be heightened in the month of October across the world, the fight still lives on every day for those still battling with the disease, and with the cost of mammograms starting at approximately J$4,500, it is difficult for most women across the island to afford the cost of the necessary screening, which can lead to early detection of the disease.
“Breast cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in Jamaican women above the age of 25 years and, therefore, poses a threat to the survival of our women. We at Sygnus Credit Investments believe that early detection is important and, therefore, want to play our part in assisting women to get screened. Our gift to the society will assist with the screening of 100 women, and we invite other members of the private sector to come on board to assist our women and to support research and public education in this area,” stated Cerilin M. Hudson, head of legal and compliance, Sygnus.
SCI believes that every individual should be able to have access to screening for early detection of breast cancer, and acknowledges that during this global pandemic, the resources may not be readily available for most. They believe that is an opportunity to assist in continuing the conversation around the awareness of breast cancer, and the importance of screening for early detection. A mammogram can find breast cancer before it can be felt and is one of the best screening tools available. When mammography is combined with clinical breast exams and breast self-exams, the chances for finding cancer become even greater.
Michael Leslie, acting executive director at the Jamaica Cancer Society, was on location for the cheque handover and stated,“The Jamaica Cancer Society expresses our sincere gratitude to Sygnus Capital for their kind donation of $450,000 to do mammography screening for 100 underserved women in need.”
The main goal of screening exams for early breast cancer detection is to identify breast abnormalities as early as possible. If breast cancer is found early, there are more treatment options and a better chance for survival. It has been proven that women whose breast cancer is detected at an early stage have a 93% or higher survival rate in the first five years.
For more details on how to access a free mammogram to aid in the early detection of breast cancer, please contact the Jamaica Cancer Society’s administrative office at: 876-579-7097.