By Sharmain GraingerCancer Survivor, Ms Carol Bagot.There have been enough reported cancer related deaths worldwide to conclude that the chronic disease is a leading cause of death globally. However, early detection and treatment can certainly help to save lives.Among those who can attest to this notion is Ms Carol Bagot – a cancer survivor – who even before being diagnosed was throwing her efforts behind helping to combat the disease that has been wreaking havoc across the world.Bagot, a Guyanese by birth who has resided in the United States (US) for many years, is the founder and President of the Organisation for Social and Health Advancement in Guyana (OSHAG). OSHAG was brought into being in the year 2000 with the primary purpose of raising awareness about cancer.Bagot disclosed during a recent interview with me that it was because of her observation that many women travelling from Guyana to the US were being seen with advanced stages of cancer that she decided to garner support to establish OSHAG.She recently vowed to redouble her efforts to work in close collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health to help tackle cancer especially in light of some troubling revelations of the state of cancer in Guyana.A Surveillance Cancer Report was earlier this year unveiled by the Ministry of Public Health, which examined the prevalence of the various forms of cancer over the period 2003-2012. The Report provides statistics of the 10 leading cancers in Guyana. The data used was provided by the Guyana Cancer Registry.While on a global scale lung cancer has been named the leading cause of cancer deaths; the data provided revealed that in Guyana breast cancer is responsible for the highest number of cancer related fatalities. This is translated to 1,090 cases of breast cancer over the identified period.Following the prevalence of breast cancer is cancer of the cervix which accounts for 1,Cheap NFL Jerseys,014 cases; prostate (865 cases); colo-rectal (440 cases); uterus (325 cases); stomach (240 cases); lung (233 cases); liver (219 cases); ovary (212 cases) and lymphoma (136 cases).Data out of the Cancer Registry, which was drawn from both public and private medical institutions, suggest that since access to treatment has been near non-existent, more than half of those inflicted with the disease died.Bagot through her organization is determined to help bring an end to this daunting state of affairs.WHO IS CAROL BAGOTBut from whence did this woman Carol Bagot come? She possesses such an unwavering passion to tackle cancer that some have said that she is fit to be named a dame.Her origin was in the ancient county of Berbice. She was born and raised in Port Plantation, Port Mourant where she attended the St Francis Roman Catholic School before heading to the Chandisingh High School in Rose Hall Town.She had a modest upbringing and recalled growing up in a home with her great aunt and grandfather.“It was humble beginnings…We lived on the Albion Estate for a number of years because my grandfather was the Chief Dispenser at the Estate,” recounted Bagot. Her grandfather had taken the family to a residence at Rose Hall after retiring.Bagot was eventually thrust into the world of work at the age of 19. Her first working experience saw her moving away from the family home to the capital city to take up the position of a switch board operator at the Georgetown Hospital.Not many years later, she gave birth to her first child, Arlene, and decided to return to Berbice to take up a switchboard operating job at the New Amsterdam Public Hospital.She remained there for a number of years following which she was able to secure a position at Telecoms (now the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company). Bagot would remain there for just a few months before migrating to the US in 1987.In the US she furthered her education and was soon dabbling in issues of mental health. She also completed a Master’s in Human Services Administration.While pursuing her Master’s Bagot was asked to coordinate a political campaign for State Senator of New York, John Sampson.Before this, however, she’d worked for a number of years as Director of Community Relations which had made her a rather familiar face in Brooklyn, New York. “…At that time a lot of women who came from Guyana heard of me, this Guyanese woman who was working for the State Senator,Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys, and they would come to me for help.”But she would soon recognize that the help that some of them were seeking was way too overwhelming to simply give casual aid.What Bagot was increasingly seeing were women with advance stages of cancer coming for much needed assistance. “It started to become overwhelming because what I saw was far too many women with stages two and three breast cancer…We would help them to get medical attention but when they got help they would bring along their friends t