Living in Peru : your everyday companion

By Jobana Soto

Thousands of lives are lost a year from cancer, a seriously fatal and complicated disease that’s sweeping the country, being rated as the second largest cause of death in Peru. Despite cancer’s dreary image, many are surprised when they hear all it takes to prevent such a disease is an annual exam. This exam could very well be the difference between life and death.

In knowing this, Liga Contra el Cáncer is making huge strides to educate Limeños on the importance of annual exams and cancer prevention methods. Adolfo Dammert Ludowieg, President of Liga Contra el Cáncer, believes the organization is doing exactly what it needs to by spreading the knowledge of prevention. When you learn more on how cancer prevention works, the chance of serious illness is slim.

As a non-profit organization funding can be difficult, especially when you’re responsible for footing the majority of the medical bill to the thousands of people a year Liga Contra el Cáncer exams. So to maintain funding standards, they decided to partner with international Scotiabank to join forces in making a generous contribution to the people.

Giulia Sammarco, Director of Public & Corporate Affairs at Scotiabank in Peru, is in very passionate in the work she is doing with Liga Contra el Cáncer. Statistics show that women outweigh the number of deaths than men, the most common being breast and uterine cancers.

With Scotiabank on board, Liga Contra el Cáncer can fully function as a well-run resource to low income families. Their involvement in the annual fundraiser this week will allow them to collect from more than 250 Scotiabank branches in and outside of Lima. It’s a way to give back to the community, says Sammarco.

Ludowieg acknowledged how important Sammarco and Scotiabank are increasing the quality of Liga Contra el Cáncer. Because of their efforts, they are able to maintain their detection centers all throughout Lima, pay their medical staff, and run a more effective educational campaign to schools on cancer prevention. Ludowieg hopes campaigning in schools will educate kids and give them the initiative to pass along their newfound knowledge to their families at home.

For fifty years, Liga Contra el Cáncer’s existence has been a central figure in cancer research and prevention techniques. Though they do not specialize in helping those already diagnosed with advanced stages of cancer, Ludowieg says his organization’s main priority is to keep people healthy. It’s better to catch cancer at its earliest than later in life.

Years ago, the Instituto de Enfermedades Neoplásicas also provided their own cancer prevention program but had to cut its funding once the number of severe cancer patients increased at their hospital. This makes Liga Contra el Cáncer Lima’s main low-cost medical center providing prevention examinations.

So why all the emphasis on cancer prevention? Given that there are over 200 types of cancer, each with vastly different treatments, relying on a cure or waiting around until your health gets serious is not recommended. With early detection, 95 percent of people with early stages of cancer can be cured. With odds like that would you think twice about getting a medical exam? At least one check up a year is all it takes to ensure your health and live without the fear of uncertainty.

For Adolfo Dammert Ludowieg, that fear of uncertainty came 27 years ago, when in 1981 he was diagnosed with early stages of cancer. In the middle of fixing his tie, Ludowieg felt a small lump on his throat. Two weeks later, he heard those dreadful words that he had cancer. Fortunately, because of detecting the early warning signs, Ludowieg knew going to the doctor was a priority. It was that very act that may have saved his life.

So with Liga Contra el Cáncer, Ludowieg and Giulia Sammarco hope to make a difference in the lives of everyone living in Peru. Using their facilities, and along with the much needed help of Scotiabank, united they can help keep cancer death rates low and increase the education of this disease.

This week, 10,000 people will be taking to the streets on September 17 and 18 with tin cans collecting money to fund this life changing organization. If you would like to visit one of Liga Contra el Cáncer’s detection centers for an annual check up, you can look through their locations here.