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Unit helps stay abreast of cancer
The Breast Health Foundation in association with the Avon Justine iThemba Fund — an initiative by the cosmetic company to raise women's awareness about their health, with a focus on cancer — recently launched a mobile breast-health education unit at Sebokeng Hospital.
The unit, which will visit various clinics and hospitals in the Sedibeng area in Gauteng, aims to teach women how to examine their own breasts, improving early detection of the most common cancer in women.
Its educational workshops, run by women who have either survived breast cancer or are undergoing treatment, also offer counselling and direct hospital referrals to those who suspect that they might have cancer in order for them to be examined and commence treatment.
Breast Health Foundation founder Carol-Ann Benn says such initiatives to educate women are a step towards eradicating the stigma of breast cancer.
“If detected early before it spreads, 90% of the time, a five-year survival rate is possible for breast-cancer patients. It is also important to know that men get breast cancer too,” she says.
One of the main concerns of organisations such as the Breast Health Foundation is that many people ignore early symptoms, she says.
“Some do not seek advice because they are afraid of what will happen to them once they have been diagnosed. There is no reason for this. We hope that our initiative will educate people, leading them to early detection and treatment.”
For more information, go to www.mybreast.co.za.
Source: The Times
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