Breast cancer awareness day at Sandown clinic
The Breast Cancer Awareness event at Sandown served as a reminder that even small acts of awareness and self-care can have a big impact in the fight against breast cancer.
Breast Cancer Awareness is celebrated every October to raise awareness about breast cancer and the importance of early detection and screening.
The month is also known as Pink October because people around the world wear pink and display pink ribbons.
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The Sandown Government Clinic in Sandton had an active and educational awareness day on October 29.
The event, which saw a number of guests, aimed at educating and empowering women and men on early detection of breast cancer.
Ward 103 councillor Lynda Shackleford welcomed the guests to the event, before she highlighted more about its aim.
“Welcome. I am pleased with the turnout of the people. This health initiative today will feature a hands-on self-examination class and guest speakers, and I hope you will learn and come out with something positive from this.”
Sister Ditsebo Mashile explained to the guests what breast cancer is. “Breast cancer is a malignant tumour that develops from breast cells. It is one of the most common cancers in women, although men can also get it too.”
Mashile elaborated that many different factors may increase the likelihood of getting breast cancer, including age, genetic predisposition, family history, personal history of breast cancer, reproductive factors, lifestyle factors, and exposure to radiation, among others.
“Most common symptoms are lumps in the breast or underarm, changes in breast size, a different form of skin changes, and unusual nipple discharge.”
She emphasised that if women, or men, see any of these signs on their breasts, they should come to the clinic so they can be checked, and if there are indeed symptoms of cancer, they will be transferred to the hospital, for further analysis.
“Some early-stage breast tumours may not cause apparent symptoms, but if you feel or see any changes to your breasts, please rush to our clinic.”
She went on to explain the different stages of breast cancer, the treatment, and the prevention and screening.
“Regular mammography screening is important for all of us, so we can detect cancer cells early, which will then help in treatment outcomes.”
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Mashile concluded by stating that changing your lifestyle can help in lowering the risk of cancer, especially by keeping a healthy weight, exercising, and limiting alcohol intake.
Health promoter Ntombi Madywadi led the breast self-examination class.
Guests were taught proper breast self-exam procedures, which are critical for spotting early signs of cancer.
“Many women do not realise how critical regular self-exams can be, and catching abnormalities early can make a big difference in treatment outcomes. My goal here is to make every woman, and man, feel confident in doing this for themselves, but especially women because breast cancer is more common in us.”
As the day progressed, well-being and personal development speaker Ishana Maharaj spoke about women keeping themselves healthy to avoid getting cancer.
“Even though cancer can just happen, having a proper healthy routine will help lower your chances of having it.”
The day ended with Ops health promotion speaker Velisha Thompson, who had a mediation class with the guests.
“Keeping your mental health well plays a big part in your lives and helps one stay sane.”
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