North Bay Woman

56 NORTH BAY WOMAN F A L L 2 0 2 0 Dr. Odele, a Kaiser Permanente surgeon, is proud of her Nigerian roots and shows a celebratory dress. – Photo courtesy of Dr. Patience Odele 5 Why did you move into breast surgical oncology? Women's health and cancer care is important to me. In Nigeria, it's a big deal being able to understand that aspect, because it's not an area of healthcare that has a high-level of awareness or organization. That said, a lot of the cancers that doctors see there are cervical and breast cancers. 6 Tell us about your work in Nigeria. After medical school I went back to Nigeria on a medical mission. The healthcare system there isn't robust and people have to pay out of pocket — which means if they don't have money, they can't afford care. So, there are a lot of people with all sorts of little things not getting treated. And there are people who show up with advanced cancers. Part of it is a lack of resources and a lack of awareness. I decided on that first trip that I would continue to make these mission trips part of my work. 7 What does your day-to-day work look like in Nigeria? I handle new consultations, mostly for breast cancer, assessing them and making recommendations on care, and operating when possible. Educating doctors and the community is also part of it. Since the pandemic, I'm part of a group of doctors from the U.S. and the U.K. who gather virtually every Wednes- day to talk about Nigerian patients, hash out different aspects of care, and come up with recommendations. I hope to be able to go back to Nigeria next year. 8 Let's talk about your medical work in Marin. What have you seen here and what are some factors that affect breast health? What we've learned over time is that patients in Marin have the same breast cancer rates as other women. Different factors can increase risk for breast cancer; family history, personal

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