Nutrition care for breast cancer survivors through partnership

Participants at the breast cancer awareness luncheon hold up placards to show their support for Pink October.

IT IS the month to be aware of breast cancer, which is the most common form of the disease affecting women in Malaysia.

Can-Care, a post-cancer care social enterprise is partnering with nutrition care platform Homey and National Cancer Society Malaysia (NCSM) to raise awareness of the disease.

The partnership was marked by a breast cancer awareness luncheon at NCSM.

Themed #ThinkPinkThinkPositive, the event was attended by 20

breast cancer survivors as well as staff of NCSM, Can-Care, and Homey.

Befitting this year’s theme and the colours of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the 20 survivors turned heads when they came dressed in pink for the occasion.

Motivational talks and sharing sessions were held during the luncheon.

They covered topics such as mental health, prosthesis accessibility and suitability for breast cancer patients, debunking nutrition myths and new ways of nutritious eating.

Can-Care general manager Joeanne Wong said being diagnosed with and fighting breast cancer was distressing and should not be faced alone.

She said breast cancer patients and survivors required support to safeguard their mental health, regain physical and emotional confidence and eat well based on nutritional information from reliable sources.

“It is for this reason that we are proud to be partnering with NCSM and Homey to provide not only support but also an accessible network of resources for breast cancer patients and survivors in Malaysia to help them in their fight against this disease, ” said Wong.

NCSM president Dr Saunthari Somasundram said cancer was not a death sentence.

“We believe in ‘giving hope and celebrating life’, ” she said.

Homey co-founder Lim Yi Chien said the majority of people who lived with cancer suffered from nutritional deficits.

She said research indicated that well-nourished patients tend to react to treatment better, have fewer complications and recuperate faster than malnourished patients.