Wednesday September 17, 2008
Mind the signs
By S. INDRAMALAR
Breast cancer is curable if detected and treated early.
A WOMAN in Malaysia has a one in 18 chance of being diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. As stark as this statistic is, what’s even scarier is that many women, even educated ones, resist going for check-ups even when they notice abnormalities or lumps in their breasts.
Choy Wah Wei: ‘Breast cancer is not a death sentence and it is not a disease of old age. Your best defence is early detection.’ “You’d be surprised that we have patients who come in when they are in stage three or four (advanced stages of cancer) ... when their breasts have changed physically,” says Choy Wah Wei, chief executive officer of Assunta Hospital in Petaling Jaya.
“These patients can be divided into two groups. The first are those who don’t know about breast lumps or cancer. They are unaware and so, they ignore the signs. Then we have the second group of patients who know but have inhibitions.
“It is sad because if we have a cut, we’d rush to see a doctor. But when it comes to breast cancer, we are scared.”
Awareness, says Choy, is key: that early detection and treatment of breast cancer will result in successful treatment of the disease; that there is a wide range of treatments available, including breast reconstructive surgery to restore a patient’s body image should a mastectomy be necessary; and that there are many avenues for support, both physical, emotional and even financial, for patients.
The desire to increase awareness about the disease has prompted Assunta Hospital to get involved with Passionately Pink – Know. Prevent. Cure, a community project organised by Jaya One, Asia Assistance and PJ Live Arts.
Says Choy: “One of the main messages of Passionately Pink is ‘Don’t Duck A Breast Exam’. Breast cancer is not a death sentence and it is not a disease of old age. Your best defence is early detection.”
In conjunction with the campaign, Assunta Hospital is offering discounts on mammograms and breasts ultrasounds.
Consultant general surgeon at Assunta Hospital, M.M.S. Krish-nan stresses the importance for women to be screened for breast lumps and abnormalities, particularly those in high risk groups, such as women with a family history of breast cancer, those who have previously had non-cancerous lumps or with ovarian problems.
M.M.S. Krishnan: ‘What I want is to detect the disease even before a woman can feel a lump.’ “As a surgeon, what I want is to detect breast cancer before it’s palpable. To detect the disease even before a woman can feel a lump. Then we can cure the disease.” says Krishnan.
The Passionately Pink – Know. Prevent. Cure campaign is a two-month fundraiser and public awareness effort to bring attention to the importance of early detection, treatment options, available support for families of patients and the fact that life goes on even with and after treatment.
Says cancer survivor and Passionately Pink consultant Teri Choong: “This is really a programme for the grassroots. We want people to know that (being diagnosed with breast cancer) is not the end of the world. And that there is plenty of help out there for them and also their families.”
Adds Dr A.B. Manivanam: “People should know that breast cancer can be detected and that it is curable.”
What’s special about the cam-paign is that it includes program-mes for the families and friends of cancer patients, an often overlooked group. Husbands, wives (for there are men who are also diagnosed with breast cancer), children and friends are affected, too, and they often have to bear their emotions quietly while tending to the patient.
Says Choong: “Who says that only the patient suffers? When I was getting treatment I didn’t think about what my husband was going through until a friend of mine pointed out that he was also having a hard time dealing with the disease.
“The emotions of caregivers are often neglected because they are expected to take care of the patient. No one asks them what they are feeling or how they are coping.
“For example, it is not uncommon for husbands to feel repulsed, resentful and troubled when their wives are dealing with breast cancer. These are natural human emotions and there are outlets where they can seek help.”
Children, says counsellor and nurse Chooi Joo Lee, also need to be given special attention when a parent is undergoing treatment for cancer.
“Sometimes it is hard for them to understand why their lives have changed in an instant. Kids won’t understand why their mother is in hospital and their father spends most of his time there with her. Or, why their mummy can’t cook or play with them anymore. They feel afraid. They may not be totally prepared for the disease but they should at least be aware,” says Chooi.
In aid of the Breast Cancer Community Treatment Programme at Assunta Hospital, Passionately Pink runs in September and October and comprises various activities that target various groups.
Among the highlights are health and nutrition workshops, clinical breast checks and the coffee table talks where the public can listen to and consult medical professionals from the hospital, all for free.
Choong adds that apart from speaking to the various medical professionals about the disease, practical sessions like “Look Good, Feel Good” are important.
“Who says we have to look like crap just because we have cancer! The session will focus on dealing with cancer treatments, the various beauty therapies you can go for as well as experimentation with wigs ... we’ll show you how to get your wigs styled,” says Choong.
Other activities in conjunction with the campaign include a cooking workshop on preparing healthy meals, an outdoor concert led by singer-songwriter Izzy Mohamed and featuring Estrella, Jasemaine Gan and Zalila Lee and even a basketball tournament.
- The Passionately Pink campaign will be held at Jaya One in Petaling Jaya. The coffee table talks will be held every Saturday and Sunday beginning Sept 20 until Nov 8, from 11am to 8pm. To find out more about the campaign, log on to www.jayaone.com.my or call the secretariat (03-7638 3838, ext 5011)
Source:
RSS
