DR LATOYA Gooding, a medical doctor who specialises in oncology, has introduced a breakthrough for women to detect breast cancer via thermography using AI technology.

This service is available at her private healthcare service, Ultra Care Medical Centre Inc., a place that provides care from screening to seeing patients through every stage of cancer care and treatment.

She is one of the first via Ultra Care Medical Centre Inc. to launch the AI-powered breast screening system in Guyana. It is said to be a smarter way to detect risk.

Dr. Gooding told the Guyana Chronicle that she is among one of the first to introduce this kind of service in women’s healthcare, powered by thermalytix AI technology in Guyana and the wider Caribbean region.

She reported that this new method represents a significant step forward in preventive cancer care offering women a radiation-free, pain-free, and contact-free way to detect early signs of breast abnormalities long before physical symptoms appear.

Dr. Gooding said thermography uses advanced thermal imaging and artificial intelligence to analyse heat and blood flow patterns in breast tissue.

She pointed out that the system captures high-resolution infrared images which the AI software then interprets to identify abnormal temperature variations that may indicate vascular activity or inflammation both early markers of developing diseases.

Dr. Gooding explained that unlike traditional mammography which relies on structural changes (such as tumours that are already present) thermography detects functional changes giving women and their doctors valuable time to take preventative action.

Dr. Gooding is a prominent Guyanese medical doctor known for her work at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation’s (GPHC) Oncology Department and as the founder of the “Giving Hope Foundation,” a key NGO supporting cancer patients in Guyana.

She’s recognised for driving the establishment of cancer care services in Guyana, motivated by her grandfather’s cancer experience, and advocates for early detection, providing patient support, and expanding cancer care access, even serving as Managing Director for Ultra Care Medical Centre Inc.

Her passion stems from her grandfather’s battle with prostate cancer, which inspired her to make a difference in cancer treatment access while she was studying in Cuba.

She believes “early detection saves lives” and focuses on empowering patients and survivors.

As a native of Bartica, Dr. Gooding pursued a career in the medical field having learned of the fate of her late grandfather, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer and suffered greatly because he received no treatment for two years before he passed away.

She explained that her father witnessed first-hand his fate, his suffering and as his sole caregiver, he motivated her to become a doctor. She later chose to become a specialist in cancer care in honour of her late grandfather.

Dr. Gooding is the founder of Given Hope Foundation, a non-profit organisation established to address mental health and support cancer patients from the point of screening to surviving cancer.

This organisation is separate from her private practice at Ultra Care Medical Centre Inc. which was officially opened in 2021 at Second and Light Streets, Alberttown, Georgetown.

Dr. Gooding said her journey started when she left her hometown for secondary school in Region Four and then went to Cuba to pursue studies in the medical field.

She was successful and returned to Guyana with the sole purpose of being a healthcare provider to make a difference in the lives of ordinary people with specialised cancer care and services under one roof.

Dr. Gooding related that the six years she spent in Cuba were worth it. She added that he was fortunate to spend her final year of study as an intern back home in Guyana.

At Ultra Care Medical Centre Inc. Dr. Gooding provides permanent employment for 24 persons and they offer a wide variety of services. They offer oncology, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynaecology, psychology, paediatrics, general surgery, diabetic foot care, urology, cardiology, physiotherapy, spirometry, pharmacy, medical imaging, laboratory services, home care services among others.