Doctor Lejla Hadžikadić-Gušić

Doctor Lejla Hadžikadić-Gušić: "Most women do not respond to mammography because of fear" Successful doctor Lejla Hadžikadić-Gušić, a general surgeon and oncology specialist, spoke to the "novi.ba" portal about breast cancer. Also, "Avon," as a socially responsible company, helped to raise the awareness of the public that a woman has much "more than beauty" and that she should fight as a brave and self-confident woman in society and not be seen only as a doll. Although she left her native Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1990 and lives in America, in the city of Charlotte, and works at the "Levine Cancer Institute," she has never forgotten her homeland and likes to visit it... We talked about the awareness of girls and women about breast cancer, what is the percentage of cures for this wicked disease, the comparison of treatment in America and Bosnia, and many important questions that you can read in the interview. In general, how well do girls and women in America know important information when it comes to breast cancer? Everything depends on several factors. And the media can have a lot of influence on raising awareness among women. Cancer is a hormonal disorder; the hormonal base is the biggest reason for cancer. In America, they know quite well because America allocates a huge amount of money to breast cancer research. Every October they have walks that help raise awareness of this disease. Some various activities and foundations write and talk about breast cancer in October. But, in addition to the mammography itself, there is a lot of information that women need to know. Sometimes you say something, but they don't interpret it well; sometimes it's a two-faced thing. Let's say the more you talk about it in America and point out that something is good, they know it on the one hand, but on the other hand, they are shocked. You talk about it so much, "cancer, cancer," and then they panic, don't know what to do, and shut down. On the other hand, women who have gone through cancer do not like it being mentioned so much because it is a reminder of their hard feelings. It is good to have information, but on the other hand, there is also a lot of incorrect information. For example, a woman who gets cancer and has cancer on only one breast wants to cut off both of them even though it is unnecessary. However, when it is explained to them nicely, they overcome that fear. How much do girls and women in Bosnia and Herzegovina know about breast cancer? In Bosnia and Herzegovina, girls and women are very afraid, and this fear prevails. As a culture, we usually don't talk much about diseases and genetic diseases. Someone rarely knows what caused the death of their mother or father. When the question arises of what they died of, whether someone had cancer, they generally have little knowledge. They know it's cancer, but they don't know anything else. We need to know about it if we want our health, but also to prevent it from happening to the next generation. We need to talk more about the family and society. The media should promote and talk more about it. It should not be promoted as something incurable, but they should be discovered in time, that they seek help, that they are not afraid, and that they can undergo treatment more easily. Do women get invitations to mammography in America, as it is the case in Scandinavian countries? Absolutely. It's wonderful in America, for that matter. Before each doctor's examination, they receive an invitation to come in, and they often do, and in addition to other examinations, they can also come for a mammogram. It's a regular inspection; you get an invitation every year, a day or two in advance. In America, 300,000 people get breast cancer every year. Most of them are between 50 and 60 years old, and only 6% are under 40 years old. However, at 300 thousand, it is a large number. My hospital does more than 100,000 examinations per year, just my hospital. How accurate are self-examinations? Unfortunately, they are not very accurate. He should only lead to a hospital examination. Self-examination should be done once a month. If something is felt, it is usually already too late. Is mammography painful? It's a bit painful, and that's why our women don't like it. Breasts must be seen in three dimensions. The technicians do it very well, and it's not so much that you can't stand it. The technicians explain what you need. The fact that the chest is compressed lasts for 3 seconds. I went for a mammogram myself. I also organized free mammograms for Bosnian women. There will be 40 places. I fill out the forms for them, but I have to "pull" them from the house. 25 of them responded, and none of them had cancer, thank God. Most do not respond because of fear. But when they leave, they say that it is not bad and recommend it to their relatives. I know that there are not so many such inspections in Bosnia and Herzegovina. How much does an examination cost in America? In America, with insurance, they cost about 300-400 dollars. It is more expensive without insurance. However, with insurance, it is covered. Is it true that touching diseased breasts and surgeries hurts? That is not true. This is what the Italians thought a hundred years ago, but it has never been scientifically proven to be true. There is a lot of incorrect information. Also, they have four types of cancer, and it all depends on the person. So, you can't compare yourself with other sufferers. Always seek the opinion of another doctor; see what he tells you. That's all right. I would do the same. But it is important not to "grab" the information that is offered to you anywhere. And we doctors would like to be able to give an injection and be able to say, "There, now you won't get cancer.". What experiences do you have with doctors in Bosnia and Herzegovina? Now I came because of the Bosnian-Herzegovinian-American Academy of Science and Arts. That's why I'm here; now is the conference. I like it in America that the patient is in the center and we are all around him. We meet at least once a week and talk about the patient. After that, we agreed and said, "Now we all talked about you and came to an opinion...". I would like to see a breast cancer center opened here in Bosnia and Herzegovina so that women can be offered more opportunities. Will a cure be discovered soon, since many are still dying from this wicked disease? Scientists are on a quest to find out. It has been researched for a long time, America invests a lot of money in this research and we hope for progress. (haber.ba)