News
08 December 2021

Capturing cancer at INCan

Mexican photographer Adán Jardón depicts the struggles and joy, anxiety and hope of people with cancer, their families and caregivers at the National Cancer Institute in Mexico.

Header Paragraph

After featuring FUCAM, the Fundación de Cáncer de Mama or Breast cancer foundation) in Mexico, photographer Adán Jardón offers an intimate look at the life and work of people living with cancer and healthcare professionals at INCan, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología or National Cancer Institute.

Mrs Rubi Reyes Avila is a 44-year-old woman living with breast cancer who has had surgery, ended her chemotherapy and should soon start radiotherapy. In the context of the photoshoot, Carlos Gómez Medina, Head of the Department of Institutional and Audiovisual Materials at INCAN asked Mrs Reyes Avila about her cancer journey and what capturing the intimacy of people experiencing cancer can mean for patients and caregivers.

Mrs. Rubi Reyes Avila, how did you find out you had cancer and how have you coped since your diagnosis? 

Well, I found out from a mammography that was done in the area where I live. They called me on the phone and they told me that I had breast cancer, but that I already had a lump.

So you had already done a self-examination and identified an abnormality?

Yes, I went to a health centre that is also here in the area and they told me that it was just fibrocystic breast disease. I trusted that diagnosis and as I didn't feel any pain or anything, I carried on with my normal life for a while until the mammography showed that I had cancer and that it was already advanced.

After that diagnosis, what did you do? What care have you had and what support have you received?

I was scared, that lump I told you about – it was like a lemon in my chest, it was big. I don’t have a partner, I went alone to the clinic for treatment. My family has supported me a lot. I had injections at the beginning that were expensive. My sisters, some uncles, aunts, neighbours, they all supported me, and thank God. 

What was the main reason you agreed to have your photo taken?

It's good, isn't it? My experience is passed on to other people so that perhaps they are more alert to anything that they feel in their body. Don't trust the way I did. I trusted the first diagnosis and it was wrong. I didn't ask for another opinion. Thank God, I am not as bad as some others who require more support from their families or who go out in wheelchairs because they feel weak. I am able to walk and I feel bad because my defences are down, and I feel very nauseous, but I am still here thanks to God and the help of my relatives. 

Finally, Mrs Rubí, what would you say to women, to everyone who are facing a diagnosis of cancer?

To remain calm, to accept things as they are. A lot depends on the spirit, the attitude of how one takes the illness. So they should not get discouraged. We are not alone. And they should not rely on just one opinion. Let them seek more opinions.

Last update

Thursday 08 February 2024

Share this page