Breast cancer patients miss treatments amid crisis in Venezuela

Maira Cardenas was diagnosed with breast cancer four years ago, at the age of 56, and every day since then, she’s been fighting both the disease and the health system in Venezuela. “Getting the medicine is an odyssey, not to mention getting the right treatment,” Maira Cardenas, breast cancer survivor said. Maira managed to get both radiation and chemotherapy, although she wasn’t able to schedule the treatments at the intervals her doctor ordered. She’s now in remission but afraid she’ll suffer a relapse without the medication her doctors said she needs to take for the next 10 years. According to the Venezuelan non-profit Senosalud, 15 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in the country each day, more than 5500 cases a year. The organization said many go undetected because equipment is in short supply. More…