World GO Day Interview with Maria Papageorgiou, Erifyle,

Greece

We really enjoyed talking with Maria Papageorgiou, a patient advocate and endometrial cancer patient from Greece. Maria is the founder of Erifyle and has been a World Gynecologic Oncology supporter since before it began! Read below to find out more (edited for length and clarity) or watch our full conversation on Instagram!

World Gynecologic Oncology Day

Hello and welcome to another in our series of live interviews for World Gynecologic Oncology Day.

Maria, could you tell us a bit about yourself and about your new organization?

Maria Papageorgiou

I was diagnosed in 2011 with endometrial cancer. And you know, it was a difficult road to travel. My doctor suggested to start a group for women with gynecological cancer, so they don't feel that they are all alone, because there weren’t enough groups like that in Greece—we had for breast and we had for all cancers in general, but not specifically for gynecological. We started that group under the auspices of another of a big organization. At the moment, we are going independent. We want to help women, to help them in all way, in every way. I mean, even for social support, psychological support, to know, to be educated and ask for the best therapies. That's why we are a member of ENGAGe!

World Gynecologic Oncology Day

Maria, what are some of the most pressing concerns for gynecological cancer patients in Greece right now?

Maria Papageorgiou 

Well, one of our biggest problems is that there are not enough doctors in the public sector. A doctor I talked to the other day told me there was a queue of 70 women waiting for him and that's very difficult. So, you know, there is the private sector as well, but expensive. So if a woman cannot afford that, she has to go public. And the thing is that the doctors, like in the University Hospital here in Athens or in Thessaloniki, they are the ones who have accreditation from ESGO. So the right places to go and have your operation and have the therapies. But it serves a long queue and that that's very, very difficult.

World Gynecologic Oncology Day

So you and your group are doing quite a lot now to try to get awareness out about these problems?

Maria Papageorgiou 

Yes, and also, there are so many different things, like with ovarian cancer that they do now, you can have the test for BRCA1 and 2 … there are different things like that that we are trying to make known and address the state to make the appropriate changes.

World Gynecologic Oncology Day

Thank you for that work. That's amazing. And you have been working with ENGAGe and with other groups, since 2016?

Maria Papageorgiou 

Yes, actually, there was a conversation with Ezra (Urkmez) when we were starting to form the Greek conference [Note: the ENGAGe Patient Advocacy Seminar in 2019]. And so I was one of the pioneers in forming World Gynecologic Oncology Day.

The idea of a game was part of the beginning, and that's why, what we usually do for World Gynecologic Oncology Day in Greece—unfortunately not this year—is a basketball game.

Doing a basketball game had many symbolic things. One was involving men, because even though it's only a woman's disease, women need to feel that that they have support. And the team has to talk to each other and get the best result—and what we were doing was, at the end—that war was going on in one place, and it was against cancer.

World Gynecologic Oncology Day

What kind of advice would you give to someone who might be watching this or reading the transcript later and is thinking, “oh, I want to start my own activity.”

Maria Papageorgiou 

They have to start with an idea, an idea that commits other people into that. And involve men. That's very important, because we need to feel that we are not alone.

And they have to just start. I mean, there's no other way than doing the first step. You know, we have the first step and see how it goes. You know, show that on social media, and it will grow every year. See what changes you might need to have—but you have to do the first step.

World Gynecologic Oncology Day

Right! People shouldn't be afraid to just start from nothing. I mean, it's free to start. You don't risk anything. Make a social post, you know, grab something purple. I have my purple logo shirt here, but even if you don't have a logo shirt, you know—take a purple scarf. Now I'm celebrating!

So Maria, this year's campaign is about stigma in gynecological cancers. Would you talk a little bit about stigma that patients in Greece might face with gynecological cancer?

Maria Papageorgiou 

Well, you know, cancer is very difficult. Anytime that we face death, even though you know, medicine has evolved so much you're not dying. But you know, there's an implication that we don't see, but is there. If you have a hysterectomy, maybe nobody can see that, but we can feel it. You know it's there. And especially if you're young, and you have a therapy that involves hysterectomy, it's so difficult, especially if you don't have a family or you don't have a partner, and you want to make a family. It's very difficult and something that you don't want to talk about.

And especially younger women, it's difficult to get involved and talk openly. And I think that should change, because I felt that way at some point.  I felt that it was my fault, that, you know, I had done something wrong and that's why that happened to me.

I needed the support to see that this is not true. You know that can happen to anyone.

And of course, maybe I have learned some things through that, to channel my grief in order to become positive. But you know, many women just want to put it aside. They don't want to, because imagine having a hysterectomy then going on a date with somebody that you like. When will you tell them?

World Gynecologic Oncology Day

Maria is an artist. And so what are some other sort of artistic installations or activities that you have done?

Maria Papageorgiou 

When we talk with art, you speak without thinking, and your emotions go on the paper and it’s easier to put them, because it's on paper. Even if it's something that is fear or something big, it becomes more, more manageable. Because you sit there, I mean, you write something, or you play something, something that you have done. So your fears get smaller. Art can do that, can help you manage your emotions that sometimes are hard.

World Gynecologic Oncology Day

So it helps the artist, as well as the people who are observing or experiencing. We’re really happy to have you as a participant and a founder!

Maria Papageorgiou 

It's important for me to be part of this network, because I've learned a lot. I've met very good friends, and even though we're in different countries or we are far away, you know, the internet makes the world become smaller. You know, many times I feel that I have friends supporting me all around Europe, so that is very important. You know there are places out there that you can find support, and you have to look for them.